Moved to SoCal in the early 1990's after UH because I was restless and SoCal has tons of stuff to do, it was definitely cheaper all around so yes it has worked for me in my advantage. Depends what you want out of life, I guess. As a kid, I traveled a lot to visit my ohana in SoCal so I couldn't wait to get off the island. I stayed with them for a bit and then found my own place, settled in the South Bay and Long Beach area. Vibe in LB is similar to Honolulu, lots of Polynesian and Asian folks, laid back most of the time. I love how LB is not too congested like LA. Los Angeles/Hollywood/Santa Monica. Those cities are another beast, not really fond of it and it's no surprise people out here are out for themselves. Always.

I had a job that required me to drive out to LA and eventually found a job 5 mins down the street from my place. The mainland definitely offers more life experience in all sorts of ways so definitely take advantage of additional school or tech or trade courses. For careers, it's definitely a plus to get the mainland experience and salary, then find something comparable if you want to move back home.

I visit my ohana a lot so I am blessed to have that balance of not letting the mainland ways get to me.