Moving around a lot gives you the opportunity to plant roots in some pretty amazing places. I had the pleasure of moving to Hawaii and graduating on an island paradise but after moving to Hawaii, no place will ever quite measure up. There is are so many reasons why living in Hawaii completely ruins anywhere else you might live:

1. Those beaches

Have you ever been to a Hawaiian beach? The sand is soft and warm and the salt water makes your hair all wavy and oh so pretty. Not to mention some pretty sick waves end up crashing up on the shore.

2. Shave Ice

Sno-Cones are a popular summer treat on the mainland (the continental United States) but with shave ice (shave, not shaved) is finely ground ice which allows the flavorings to get to all of the ice instead of it just pooling at the bottom of the sad paper cone. You can also add ice cream and adzuki beans and you have perfection in a plastic boat/cup thing.

3. Seafood

You wouldn’t believe just how fresh the shrimp, crab, ahi tuna, just about any seafood you can think of. It comes right out of the ocean and pretty much onto your plate. Also, the sushi is top notch. Hawaiians also have this food called poke (poh-keh) that is raw fish with seasoning. Think of it as the inside of sushi raised a couple of degrees of tastiness.

4. The spirit of Aloha

When you go to Hawaii, there’s just something different about how everyone treats each other and time seems to move a little slower than everywhere else. All of the locals have a spirit of aloha, this sense of welcoming and love and all around friendship. It’s the most comforting thing.

5. Beaches

But honestly, the beaches. The. Beaches.

6. Leis

In Hawaii, everything is a celebration, and we use leis to acknowledge that. Leis can be fresh flowers, a piece of string with food attached, or weaved ribbon. Leis come in many different forms and it’s a beautiful tradition.

7. Pineapples

I am the first to tell you that pineapple does not go on pizza, like why would you want to eat warm pineapple, but I can promise you that the pineapple you find in Hawaii is so fresh and sweet and oh so delicious. Like you will never look at a pineapple the same way. Also, the Dole plantation is in Hawaii and pineapples grow in such a cool way, it’ll make you love it that much more.

There are so many reasons why I believe Hawaii is honestly the best place to live. Between the most amazing beaches to the freshest pineapple, I wouldn’t have wanted to live anywhere else but that island paradise.