“I am not a native of Hawaii, but I am a Chamorro descendant. I relocated to Hawaii from my island Guam because I had just gotten a divorce, wanted to start fresh elsewhere, didn’t want to give up tropical island lifestyle altogether, and loved island community culture.
“I was influenced to leave Hawaii by a friend who shared my interest in interior design and wanted to enhance my talent in a wider scale of interest — and get into other lines of work, such as real estate. I still have relatives living in Honolulu and on Kauai.
“I still would love to come back to Hawaii, but the cost of living is not feasible for me. I am in my senior years and living with my daughter in California for economic reasons. I am still struggling with finances because California is an expensive place to live in as well.”
Rosemary Garrido
Fairfield, California
Former resident of Waipahu
