People Who Live In A Tropical Paradise Share The Downsides Most People Don't Realize

People Who Live In A Tropical Paradise Share The Downsides Most People Don't Realize
Image by MustangJoe from Pixabay

Although I've never lived in a tropical paradise full time, I've certainly traveled extensively and spent considerable time abroad visiting family members––when I was younger, I'd spend entire summers away––so I know what it's like to be in a place like that and what to expect.

But people who live in more temperate climates don't. They think it'll be sunshine and beauty 24/7. And while the sunshine is certainly a plus, they're bound to be knocked flat on their butts if they had to deal with torrential rain or other inclement weather. Oh, and did I mention the bugs? They're enormous. And terrifying, to say the least.

After Redditor redditindisguise asked the online community, "People who live in a tropical paradise that folks often daydream about, what are some things about living in this climate year-round that aren't so dreamy?" people shared their stories.


Here's an exhaustive list to start.

Ex-Hawaiian (the Big Island) here. Windward (rainy) side fun...

LFAs (Little Fire Ants). These are NOT the fire ants you see on the mainland. They are invasive little gold abominations that nest in trees and fall out and land on you and begin their incredible painful bites. Will also partially blind your pets by biting them in the eyes.

Rats. You live in a jungle, you got rats. Even if you can keep them out of your house, they love to gnaw on your car's electrical wiring.

Rat Lungworm disease. You don't want to know.

Termites. Swarms a couple of times a year. Will emerge in your house at night, drop their wings, and become horny little worms.

"False" Blister Bugs. Insanely attracted to light, will find a way in your house at night and fly up to the ceiling lighting fixtures, then clumsily drop onto you at random. Don't swat them; that's when the "blister" part happens.

Coqui frogs. Chirp "Co-KEE!" all night. Cute in their native Puerto Rico; deafening as an invasive species in a tropical jungle, where upwards of 10,000 per acre will screech for sex partners. You have to turn your TV's volume up at night. You can hear them driving down the highway if your windows are down.

Dengue fever. Usually not fatal.

Jungle Rot. Any exposed wood will not withstand 150 inches/year of rain and humidity. Water seal is ineffective. Paint constantly or replace your deck/stairs every few years.

Plus, the usual: cockroaches, mosquitos (see Fever, Dengue), humidity, and hurricanes.

All that said, we would still be happily living there if we lived on the leeward (dry) side, which has very few of these issues. But, we couldn't really afford it there; houses start at around $700K.

Lodestone123

Well, that was traumatizing.

Still unconvinced? Still want to venture into tropical paradise? Let's continue.

"Your appliances burning out..."

Power going out all the time despite the $1000+ you pay for utilities in a home only 2 people live in. Your appliances burning out and needing to be replaced due to the frequent power surges. The groceries and gas being extremely expensive. Just the general high cost of living.

tonikyat

"The omnipresent mold..."

The omnipresent mold that loooves humidity.

StreetCombination6

"I'm talking about..."

It's hot. I am not talking about your garden variety kind of hot, I am talking about a searing, humid miasma of what it must feel like inside the mouth of a dog. It's awful.

Kindergoat

"It's only a tropical paradise..."

It's only a tropical paradise half the year. The other half is unbearably hot, humid, and rainy.

solidsnake885

"The chain on our garage door opener..."

The cost of living is insanely high due to limited space, a lot of homes being bought as vacation homes, and everything needing to be imported. Traffic's awful because it's a small island with a moderate population but tons of tourists (the pandemic has done wonderful things for traffic but decimated our economy). Salt air from the ocean makes any metal rust incredibly quickly, so if you scratch your car you have to get it fixed right away. The chain on our garage door opener also has to be replaced more often than usual. And, yeah, lots of bugs.

TrainwreckMooncake

"It's uncomfortable..."

You are in a constant state of being between damp from sweat, and wet from rain. It's uncomfortable, and you cannot get away from it unless you are showering, swimming or are wealthy enough to afford powerful aircon. You are tired all the time because you can't sleep. Your clothes are always stained and literally rot off you from being constantly saturated in acids that are contained in your sweat. How's that for a start?

Ken10_Aus

Still want to go a tropical island paradise?

Do you really? Think hard.

"It's also hard..."

I live in Hawaii. While it's so beautiful here it is also very easy to stop seeing it. You get focused on your daily life and stop taking advantage of the things that tourists come here to do. It's also hard because my friends are total homebodies and I prefer doing things outdoors with other people.

ProfSpaceTime

"Time passes weirdly..."

Former Hawaii resident, now Florida. Time passes weirdly without the pronounced seasons. I hate snow, but it is hard to get into the Christmas spirit without it (grew up in the PNW).

Also, the beach problem. When the beach is five minutes away, it's fun at first. But then you reach a point where you're like, "...it's five minutes away. I'll go another time. It's always there after all." And then suddenly it's been months and you haven't gone to the beach.

samwisegamgee

"Lived on an island..."

Lived on an island in Thailand for a while. It just gets really sticky all the time. Sometimes it feels like nothing ever fully dries. And of course, technology and infrastructure are way behind mainland standards.

Loved it anyway.

BictorianPizza

Listen...

I'm not a fan of being buried under snow right now (hooray for living in the Northeast!) but some of that sounds awful, doesn't it? Why can't a happy medium exist? Now if only Southern California wasn't so prone to wildfires...

Have your own thoughts after living in a tropical locale? Sound off in the comments below!

Want to "know" more? Never miss another big, odd, funny, or heartbreaking moment again. Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.

People Break Down Which Words Or Phrases Are Red Flags When Meeting Someone

Reddit user theevilempire asked: 'What words/phrases do you hear someone say and immediately know you’re probably not going to like the person?'

First impressions can be misleading, to the point of being dangerous.

After all, as Jane Austen taught us in Pride and Prejudice (whose original title was, in fact, First Impressions) the person who ends up being the love of your life might seem utterly loathsome upon a first meeting.

Even so, it's hard not to snap to judgment when meeting someone for the first time, particularly based on what they say.

Be it a difference in political or religious beliefs, or simply something shockingly rude or ignorant, all it can take is a few words or idioms to make us never want to see or hear from someone ever again.

Keep reading...Show less

Meeting someone new isn't easy, especially if it's someone you want to snuggle with.

How do you say "hi" and be cool?

How do we weed out the crazies who say "hi?"

There has to be a perfect way.

Who has used some good verbiage that set you aflame?

Keep reading...Show less
High school student carrying text books.
Element5 Digital/Unsplash

Nothing has more impact on our lives than the moments of adolescence.

Everything seems to be high stakes–especially in high school–where short-term goals like being popular and voted best-looking are the coveted status.

And when teens fall short of expectations, struggle with academics, and feel like breakups are the end of the world, they don't have the wisdom yet to know things eventually get better.

It's no wonder many successful TV series like 90210 feature teens. There's plenty of drama to entertain audiences who've either been there or are going through it themselves and find many of the plotlines are relatable.

But sometimes, there are plenty of unimaginable and horrific incidents that take place and are forever ingrained as part of the high school experience.

Keep reading...Show less

One would think we're in a place in time where all conversations should be easy.

But that is not the case.

So much is still too "taboo" to be truthful about.

It is so frustrating.

There is so much to discuss.

Being shy is understandable, but it's something that we can all get over.

Keep reading...Show less