- Danielle-Ann Kealohilani Rugg returned to Hawaii to care for her family during the pandemic.
- She balances work in events, tax business and family life while dealing with the high costs of living.
- She finds beauty in Hawaii, but would move back to Oregon for lower living costs if she could.
This spoken essay is based on a conversation with Danielle-Ann Kealohilani Rugg, a 39-year-old entrepreneur and event staffing professional who moved from Oregon to Hawaii. It has been edited for length and clarity.
I have an ever-evolving career. I balance my events work with Aloha HP, running a successful tax practice and taking care of my family on Oahu in Hawaii.
My path has been a mix of culinary aspirations, entrepreneurial ventures, and family-driven decisions. I was born and raised on Oahu. In 2005, when my twin daughters were 1, I moved to California, where I lived for six years before settling in Oregon. Oregon has been home for most of my children’s lives, including the past decade.
I’ve been back on Oahu since the pandemic, and while it’s great, the high cost of living is challenging.
My professional life began with a passion for food
I moved to Oregon after a divorce to help care for my grandparents and fell in love with everything about the state. I had always seen the different seasons in movies and TV shows and wanted to experience them, and this dream finally came true. The other amazing thing about the state was the lack of sales tax.
I enrolled at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland to pursue my passion for baking and desserts. After completing the two-year associate’s program, I worked in various roles, from baker to cashier to server.
Each position taught me invaluable lessons in customer service, multi-tasking and time management, especially when organizing large events. It wasn’t just about bread and cups of coffee, but also about creating memorable experiences for customers.
My family always came first. Wanting to be closer to my children, I became a lunch lady at their high school. Surprisingly, this was one of the most fulfilling roles I’ve had.
I continued my side hustle while in Oregon
I switch gears every February and dive into tax season with my mom. We have run a tax preparation business since my early 20s. We realized that the hard work we put into someone else’s business could be channeled into something of our own.
The time zone difference was challenging when I was in Oregon, but we made it work. Depending on our clientele for the year, we make $50,000 to $75,000 a year.
My mother and I get along very well. Our relationship is not perfect, but we have found a good balance between our professional and personal lives.
The only drawback I experienced in Oregon was the limited places to swim
The ocean was about an hour and a half away, but the water was always frozen. While it was beautiful, going to a beach and not being able to jump dampened the experience.
There were lakes, but they froze because all the fresh water came from the mountains. We also had a few facilities we could go to, but that would involve membership, and not all of them were inside.
When the pandemic hit, my family had to make a change
In 2020, as the world was dealing with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, my mother suffered an injury and needed help. She lived in Honolulu, and despite the comfortable life my children and I had built in Oregon, I needed to come home.
It wasn’t an easy decision, especially during my children’s junior year of high school, but sometimes life calls for hard choices. The transition was difficult, but ultimately, it was the right move for my mother’s well-being. We also brought back my grandmother, who suffers from dementia.
Back on Oahu, I got a job with Aloha HP, a staffing company in Hawaii. Aloha HP allowed me to continue with my business while maintaining an open schedule to take care of my family, which was a relief.
I am mainly involved with the work of the events staff
I do everything from hosting weddings and banquets to serving guests. These concerts can last from four to nine hours.
I average about 80 hours of work per month and earn between $1,350 and $1,900. It’s a dynamic way of working and I like the variety and challenges of it.
I’ve learned that self-care can’t be an afterthought. I always set aside two days during my busy work week just for myself.
Now that I’m back in Hawaii, the downsides are clear
The cost of living is one of Hawaii’s biggest downsides. When I lived in Oregon, my rent for my three-bedroom, two-bath, two-car home with a yard was $1,500. Electricity averaged $250 and my water bill was about $80. Car registration for both my cars came to $275 for two years. Groceries cost us about $500 a month.
Now my rent, which my family helps with, is $3,550 for a slightly larger house than I had in Oregon. Our energy is almost triple what I paid in Oregon, averaging $660 and up. Water costs about $220 and car registration is $445 for just one year.
Even the grocery stores here have inflated prices. I can make more money in Hawaii, but it is offset by the cost of living in Hawaii which is much higher than in Oregon.
It’s still heaven
Living in paradise is amazing; don’t get me wrong. I’m close to my family, the ocean is close, the sun almost always shines, and even when it’s not, the rain is a nice, cool temperature—not cold.
However, if I had to choose between the two countries, I would go back to Oregon, just because the cost of living here is so high.
However, I have come to realize that Hawaii is and always will be home. Despite the changes in time and technological advances, living on an island still offers so much beauty. Just being here is a gift.
Even though I once said I would never turn back, life has a way of taking you where you need to be.
