Why do I currently prefer living in a high-rise apartment in Brickell Miami when I have a beautiful spacious home in Hawaii? To understand this, is to understand the phase of life I am in right now.
I love sunshine. Both have incredible weather year round, so weather is a tie.
I love beauty. Hawaii gets the edge in this category but where I live in Miami is quite stunning as well.
I love water views. As I live waterfront in both locations, my desires for beauty are equally met. I will give the nod to Hawaii. But, if are were talking nighttime views, the Miami skyline reflecting on the bay is a sight to behold.
I love diversity and both locations have this in spades, just in their own ways. Miami has the edge due to its size, but I would argue that Hawaii, with its rich cultural history is impressive too.
I love fantastic food. Given that Chef Joseph and Chef Abby have been serving up some of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had in my life these last few years with regularity at our hotel in Hawaii, it’s hard not to give them their props. However, that is only within the confines of our remote property. It’s closest city, Hilo, is not exactly known for its cuisine. Adversly, if you are one of the best chefs in America, chances are, you’ve opened a restaurant in Miami, but more on this later.
Up till now, sounds like Hawaii has the edge in most of these meaningful areas. I spend equal time living at both. However, the one category I have not mentioned is the one that matters most to me right now.
After grinding it out for twenty-eight years as an entrepreneur, regularly making sacrifices, the thing I desire most is quality of life. Let’s compare using this factor.
I currently own twelve businesses and am invested in another half dozen. Most require little to no daily support as they simply own assets and have no customers. The three that do though, are all based in Hawaii. They require my attention every day.
Hawaii is on a time zone three hours behind California and six hours behind Miami. The nature of things in Hawaii is that most business people wake up at the crack of dawn and charge hard till about 2:00 pm. Why? If you do a lot of business with mainland businesses or customers, 6-2 are your high volume work hours. Also, if you work locally on the island, it starts to get scorthing hot in the afternoon so everyone starts early so they can avoid the afternoon heat and wrap-up by the nid-afternoon.
So, when I am staying in Hawaii, I go to bed by 9:00 pm and am up at 5:30 am. By 6:00 I am answering emails and calls from the mainland and by 7:00 am contractors start arriving at both my properties due to the renovations we are doing. They typically have questions or needs that need to be addressed upon their arrival do I get knocks on my door.
Just about all I have time for each morning in Hawaii is an espresso, a peak at a beautiful sunrise and a quick shower. The word that best characterizes my mornings in Hawaii is rushed. By 2:00 pm I wrap things up and typically drive thirty minutes into Hilo to enjoy the morning I missed, getting a bite to eat and grabbing a coffee at my favorite coffee spot. Afterwards, I typically eat at home because the restaurants in Hilo leave something to be desired. In all honesty, evenings in Hawaii are slow as slow gets. Barely anything stays open past 10::00 pm. Zero nightlife.
Adversly, in Miami I ho yo bed around midnight and wake up around 8 am. I grab a cup of espresso and lay in bed for about an hour reading various articles that interest me. By 9:00 am, I throw my swimsuit and flip flops on and take the elevator down fourteen floors to our building’s incredible indoor bathhouse. I do a twenty minute cold plunge and then I go for a pleasant one hour waterfront walk outside in the sun to dethaw.
While walking, I often listen to audiobooks and talk to friends on the phone. On my way home I stop by my favorite coffee truck for a second cup of espresso. All the baristas are super friendly. They have taken the time to know my name and my coffee preferences. As a regular, they make feel me feel like I am part of a community. Then, around 11:00 am, I either hit one of my favorite breakfast spots or head home to make a healthy breakfast. After, I often have spare time to read a book or do some inspirational writing.
During these mornings in Miami, I am in a total state of relaxation cause I know that I still have a few hours before anyone involved in my businesses in Hawaii even wake up. I don’t sit down at my desk to work till around noon or 1:00 pm. By this time it is 6:00 am in Hawaii and its game on till about 5:00 pm Miami time. I don’t require much more than four hours of concentrated work to manage my business when I am off island (another bonus).
After work (when I am not fasting obviously) Lori and I begin discussing which one of the amazing restaurants within walking distance we’re gonna go to for a sunset drink and a great meal. I usually lobby for a spot with a great view of the Miami sunset for the drink portion. I love me a quality rooftop bar with a water view as long as they serve Clase Azul!
Now, I fully realize that I can develop really healthy habits in Hawaii that easily match what I have going on in Miami, but this is just an honest assessment of where I’m at. I prefer living in Miami due the major time zone advantages and the great food. I feel like I’m really living here, and not just working. My quality of life is better.
Strange, isn’t it? The place where everyone goes on vacation is the place I now associate with sacrificing my quality of life to work. The irony is not lost on me.
In closing, I am grateful for both locations and fully realize that it has less to do with the locations and more to do with the phase of life I am in right now as a 54-year-old lifelong entrepreneur. I desire relaxed vs. rushed. After I bring my two resl estate syndications to successful conclusions in a few years, I would love to see Hawaii return to the place I go on vacation!
