Toilet paper HAS to be at a premium. Makes me glad I don't live there. I used to visit there every year...but time goes by and I LIKE where and how I live now.
It wasn’t too bad for an enlisted guy. We lived in the barracks, and had a chow hall to eat in, a PX and Commissary to shop at. Even gasoline was at stateside prices iirc. So we were insulated from the sticker shock of Hawaiian Punch prices on everything.
We weren’t insulated from Hurricane Iniki however. At one point somebody decided we could get all our helicopters at Schofield in our Hangar. Folding blades back, and tail booms. I was skeptical, but we did it. There wasn’t any room to walk but it got done. Huge pain in the ass.
At one point, everything was done, nothing more to prepare. The sky turned ominous and they cut everyone loose, the married guys back home to their families. Single guys just hung out in the barracks and waited for everything to roll in. Kind of sobering.
Spell checker strikes again.
Coconuts are important.
Everything else has to be imported.
I have spent a lot of time there on the four principal islands.
Had a buddy that lived directly on the ocean at the end of Waikiki. He had a thing for Thai women and would spend weeks if not months there.
While away he’d offer me the use of the condo and keys to the cars. Great years.
Spent 4 months there helping a gal pal get settled in. She was an ATC and transferred to Honolulu tower. Another interesting experience but decided I really didn’t want to live there.
Been there many other times for different reasons. Love to visit but don’t think I could live there even if it was affordable.
It’s been awhile, but even back then the “locals” were getting hostile even to long time residents.