13 Things To Do Before You Re An Official Hawaii Local

There is perhaps no better place to live than the paradise that is Hawaii. Whether you have never lived outside of Hawaii, or are contemplating a move to the Aloha State, there are a few things everyone has to do before they can claim their status as a true Hawaii local. Some of these things are silly, while others are much more serious, but we would like to believe that every local has done these 13 things. This is all meant to be in good fun, and we understand that there is much more to becoming a Hawaii local than completing a silly list on the internet, so please don’t take this too seriously.

You have embraced the Aloha spirit, and have learned to live much slower.

Makena Zayle Gadient/Flickr

You’ve watched the sun set (or rise) over the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

Chris Chabot/Flickr

You have planned your days according to traffic patterns - especially on Oahu.

Daniel Ramirez/Flickr

You’ve gone for a long walk along the beach.

Abe Kleinfeld/Flickr

You’ve completed at least a few of Hawaii’s most iconic hikes.

Zlatko Unger/Flickr

You have experienced the magnificence that is a cup of Hawaii-grown coffee – and prefer it to anything you can find at Starbucks.

Erica Schoonmaker/Flickr

You have stayed at the beach when it started raining because you knew it would stop shortly anyway.

greenleigh/Flickr

You’ve started to use common Hawaiian words in your everyday speech without realizing it.

Calsidyrose/Flickr

You have immense respect for the ‘aina (land), and the beauty that is Hawaii.

Doryce S/Flickr

You have gone swimming with sea turtles.

Bradjward/Flickr

You have a regular order at Zippy’s.

Naoko Kawachi/Flickr

You have thrown a shaka in the air while merging in traffic, crossing the street, or while posing for a photo.

Samuel Apuna/Flickr

You have started to refer to Hawaii as your home, and have realized that you would never want to live anywhere else.

Christian Arballo/Flickr

How many of these things have you completed? What else should someone do in order to become a true Hawaii local?