Nurse Moving to Kaua’i With Cat — Need Honest Advice/Reassurance
Long story short, I’m moving to Kaua’i in October to be closer to my sister after spending many years isolated from her during an abusive relationship. I have a job lined up as an OR nurse, so I’ll have a stable income, and I’m shipping my car and bringing only a small amount of belongings (plus my cat).
The part I’m struggling with is housing. I’ll initially be staying with my sister, her boyfriend, and his parents, but the environment is not ideal long term. They live in subsidized housing, there’s a lot of smoking inside, arguing, and some drug-related issues. I can tolerate it temporarily, but I’m honestly scared I won’t be able to find pet-friendly housing I can afford on Kaua’i.
I’ve already been searching everywhere — Facebook housing groups, Craigslist, Zillow, Furnished Finder, HotPads, etc. I know it’s probably way too early to seriously look, but searching makes me feel like I’m at least doing something productive instead of just sitting with the anxiety.
Rehoming my cat is not an option. He’s been with me through the end of an abusive relationship, and I have C-PTSD — he genuinely helps me emotionally more than I can explain.
I think my biggest fear is spending all this money to move, only to realize I can’t make it work and have to turn around and move back. I really do want to live on Kaua’i — not because it’s “Hawaii,” but because I want to be close to my sister. She’s my only sibling, and rebuilding that relationship means a lot to me.
I guess I’m mainly looking for advice, reassurance, or honest perspectives from people who understand the housing situation there. I know there’s a huge housing crisis in Hawaii, especially on Kaua’i, but I also know there’s a major shortage of nurses and healthcare workers too.