A long game, on island time.
Coach Leighty covers Hawaii. Defense, healthcare, tourism and a startup scene that keeps showing up for each other.
So many memories.
Maui four times, plus the Big Island, Kauai and Oahu. Hawaii holds so many memories for me, and it's a great place for Basecamps.
Islands run on relationships. Keep coming back.
And the sunrise is always worth the early alarm.
The Honolulu career landscape.
Honolulu holds about 70% of Hawaii's jobs, with 454,800 people employed in March 2026. Defense, healthcare, tourism and local finance carry much of it.
The military and its contractors
Bases, federal agencies and the consulting firms that support them.
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii and the island systems
Clinical, operations and technology roles across Oahu's health systems.
Hawaiian Airlines and Waikiki's hotels
Operations, hospitality and leadership tracks in the state's signature industry.
First Hawaiian · Bank of Hawaii · Central Pacific
Downtown's financial district and the family companies that run the islands.
Honolulu is a small professional world. Relationships and staying power count for more than a polished resume.
Networking in Honolulu, done the long way.
Show up more than once. The second visit is where the real conversations start.
Cost of living and housing.
Hawaii's everyday costs run among the highest in the country, while BLS shows Honolulu's average weekly wage below the national average. Run the numbers before the move.
Town, the windward side, the west side or up toward the North Shore: traffic on the H-1 is part of the decision.
Numbers change fast, so we link the live sources instead of printing figures that go stale.
Where to clear your head.
Diamond Head State Monument
0.8 miles to the crater rim. Advance reservation required.
Plan it →Koko Head Crater Trail
1,048 steps above Hanauma Bay.
Plan it →Haleakalā National Park, Maui
Sunrise reservations sell out months ahead.
Plan it →Basecamp Honolulu on the map.
Coaching runs by video. When Coach Leighty is in town, in-person conversations happen over coffee or on a trail. Book a call first.
Protect it. Live it. Visit it.
Listed as local resources, not partners or sponsors. Something closed or missing? Email mike@longgamelife.live.
Your long game has its own map.
Every Basecamp starts with the same trail markers. Yours might need a fabric store, a card shop, a maker space, a climbing gym or a quiet place to write. Tell us what belongs on this page and Coach Leighty adds the ones that fit.
What's open right now.
Go see it for real.
Wildlife, landmarks, trees and flowers and night sky. Find one, tap it, and it gets a stamp.
White tern (manu-o-Kū)
Gygis albaWhere to lookHonolulu's official city bird. Nests right in downtown and Waikiki trees.
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Nēnē
Branta sandvicensisWhere to lookHawaii's state bird, a goose. Easiest to see on the neighbor islands.
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Red-crested cardinal
Paroaria coronataWhere to lookBright red head, common in parks.
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Green sea turtle (honu)
Chelonia mydasWhere to lookBasking and grazing near shore. Stay 10 feet back and never touch.
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Humpback whale
Megaptera novaeangliaeWhere to lookWinter, roughly December to April. Federal law: stay 100 yards away.
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Spinner dolphin
Stenella longirostrisWhere to lookResting in bays by day. Federal law: no swimming with them, stay 50 yards away.
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Diamond Head
WaikīkīGetting thereHike up the rim of an old volcanic crater. Visitors need a reservation, so book first.
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Pearl Harbor National Memorial
About 30 min westGetting thereThe USS Arizona Memorial and the story of December 7, 1941.
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ʻIolani Palace
DowntownGetting thereThe only royal palace in the United States.
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Hanauma Bay
About 25 min eastGetting thereSnorkel a protected reef bay. Reservations needed, and it closes some days.
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Mānoa Falls
Mānoa ValleyGetting thereRainforest trail to a tall, thin waterfall. Muddy, so wear good shoes. Stay out of the pool, and check hours first.
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Makapuʻu Lighthouse Trail
East OʻahuGetting therePaved trail to ocean views. Humpback whales in winter.
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ʻŌhiʻa lehua
Metrosideros polymorphaWhere to lookRed pom-pom flowers on Hawaii's most common native tree. Don't pick them, and brush off your shoes to protect the trees.
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Koa
Acacia koaWhere to lookNative tree once used for canoes. Look in the upland forests.
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Naupaka
Scaevola taccadaWhere to lookBeach plant with 'half flowers' that come with a legend.
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Yellow hibiscus (maʻo hau hele)
Hibiscus brackenridgeiWhere to lookHawaii's state flower, rare in the wild. See it at botanical gardens.
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Plumeria
PlumeriaWhere to lookSweet-smelling flowers used in lei. Not native, but everywhere.
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Banyan
Ficus benghalensisWhere to lookGiant trees with roots dropping from the branches, like the one in Waikīkī.
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Big Dipper and North Star
Ursa Major and PolarisWhere to lookFind the dipper, then follow the two stars at the end of its cup up to the North Star.
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Orion the Hunter
Winter constellationWhere to lookLook south after dark for three bright stars in a row: Orion's belt.
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Perseid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-August peakWhere to lookLie back after midnight around Aug 11 to 13. No telescope needed.
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Geminid meteors
Meteor shower, mid-December peakWhere to lookOften the year's best shower. Bundle up around Dec 13 to 14.
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Milky Way
Our home galaxyWhere to lookNeeds a moonless night away from town lights. Summer shows the brightest part. Leeward beaches and the mountains are darker than Waikīkī.
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Space Station flyover
International Space StationWhere to lookA bright, steady dot crossing the sky in a few minutes. NASA's Spot the Station app lists times.
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Southern Cross
CruxWhere to lookFrom Hawaii you can see it low over the southern ocean on spring evenings.
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Never feed wildlife, stay on trail, and follow posted closures. Hours, permits and seasons change, so check before you go. Months are a guide. Photos from Wikimedia Commons under the free licenses shown. Stamps stay on this device only.
Everybody has a long game. Some come with aloha.
Born here, moving here or coming home: start with a free 20-minute call.
Or email mike@longgamelife.live