That’s where I’m at right now, or that’s just how I feel. My partner and I, our dogs, and our cats have been moving to different places over the years. Looking back at my life, one thing was certain: I made a lot of moves over great distances. Big moves that created life-altering outcomes for my family. But I didn’t bear any slight chance of regret whatsoever.
In 2024, I founded a small business that crafts homemade artisan chocolates and sells them online. It started slowly, but by 2025, it began to pick up. I was very excited. I even put this food blog on hold so I can focus on a more “profitable” activity. Maybe I was the only one on WordPress that didn’t generate income from blogging; everything was an expense. But I couldn’t give up blogging; it is my only platform for self-expression.
When I created my chocolate business, I finally found my niche. I started getting good customer reviews and learning to do my own marketing through social media platforms. And the pleasure of crafting delicious confections was a big plus. The business gave me so much hope for the future. But, in one stroke of events, I had to freeze my business, pack everything, and move again. This time, the move was across the great Pacific Ocean.
In the middle of 2025, my daughter went through a difficult pregnancy. That pregnancy was preceded by a disheartening miscarriage a couple of years back. She felt this pregnancy would be her only chance due to her age. To cut a long story short, we decided to support them, packed our things, and moved across the ocean to live closer to them. My daughter needs a village to raise her son, and we are her village. In the grace of the Lord, my grandbaby boy was born, even though very premature at 24 weeks (six months). He stayed in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) for four months. That little guy is a fighter, I must proudly admit. He has a mission to be in our lives. Each day he spent in the hospital, he showed progress beyond the doctors’ and nurses’ expectations, which was so delightful to hear. We often say that he was an overachieving premie.
We now live in Hawaii, closer to my grandbaby boy, my daughter, and her husband. You would probably say, I get the best of both worlds. Living closer to my family and living in paradise. You may be right, it’s truly beautiful to visit, to vacation, to relax, or to unwind in Hawaii. However, living on the island is a whole different kind of reality that we are just now experiencing and adjusting to. If you follow this post, I will give you a glimpse of what island living in Hawaii truly is, contrary to common misconceptions. Come along with us on this journey: two middle-aged empty nesters who left our comfortable life on the mainland and are trying to survive the high-cost of life on the island. Welcome to my world now!
So, yes, I put my business on hold as we try to navigate our new life on the island. The biggest challenge is the high cost of living. Most people we know have a second or third job on the side to make ends meet. It’s been six months now, and I must tell you, there are days I want to regret this decision. But every time I look at my grandbaby boy, my heart melts. And I start convincing myself that putting my business on hold and changing our lifestyle from big spaces to cramped spaces or from affordable living to high cost just to be closer to this baby boy and to my daughter is very much worth it. What are your thoughts? I would love to hear yours. Thank you for reading.
Six Tastes Kitchen 