Guam may be small, but it packs a punch!

Guam is becoming so wonderful to us. The other day I told John that I don't ever want to leave.

I am overwhelemed by all of things there are to do and see on this small island. Things that I could see myself doing over and over, too. 

We finally went hiking and snorkeling for the first time a few weeks ago. We immediately regretted not doing this months ago.  I'll start with Spanish Steps. The hike down wasn't too long, steep, but so fun maneuvering through the trees. At the bottom you have the option of going right toward the beach or left where you can snorkel. The beach was closed due to Sea Turtle season so we went left. I have never been snorkeling, and though I swam competitively for 10 plus years, I am terrified of the ocean. I don't mind getting in and swimming around, but going into deep waters with unknown creatures below is very unsettling. This is why I will never go diving. Don't even try to convince me, it won't work. I could literally care less about diving with the sea turtles or dolphins, though I'm sure it's pretty awesome. But my fear>swimming with turtles.

Anyway, I was the only one without snorkel gear. I had a pair of goggles and figured I'd be just fine without any fins. And actually it really wasn't bad except that the salt water really agitated my nose. At one point, John graciously let me use his mask and snorkel.The currents were a little strong, as their was a typhoon directly northwest of us. We stayed clear of the large waves in the distance and hung onto coral when needed lol. In all seriousness though, drowning is a real threat on the island. Since we have been here I think 3 people have drowned. The rule of thumb is if there are locals in the water, you should be good. If not, don't go in.

I ended up LOVING snorkeling. There were a ton of cool fish, like those you see in Finding Nemo. We even saw and picked up blue starfish! We can't wait to go back again.

We also hiked Mt. Lam Lam, which is argued to be the tallest mountain in the world (because of the Marianas Trench). Apparntly there are people who believe some mountain in Hawaii is taller. Who cares, I'm still going to say we hiked the tallest! It was so fun, and the scenery was beautiful. And hot. So hot. Next time I'm bringing two water bottles so I can use one to pour over me.

Needless to say, we are itching for more and will be filling every weekend that we can with more hikes/swims.

Lastly, Delta is having an amazing deal for flying here. Instead of the usual 2 grand to fly here, it's marked down to 900-1,000 bucks. If you are still thinking, "That's too much". Remember you are flying ACROSS the world, to the Pacific ocean to an island you might never get the chance to see or visit. AND you'd have a free place to stay with delicious food cooked for you everyday. AWESOME tour guides and access to the coolest beaches. If I haven't convinced you enough here is my pros and cons list.

PROS: 

*Sunsets. I love my Florida sunsets, but honestly Guam is like no other. You get a different one every night. It amazes me everytime. Here's one from the other day...

Oh and another one...

*Crystal clear water. Enough said.

*Tons of beaches. Private ones we can take you to as well :)

*Snorkeling.

*Hiking.

*Fried rice for breakfast. Always a win.

*Beautiful scenery wherever you drive.

*People. They are so friendly and welcoming.

*Morale. You can't help but feel it on the island! People love living here.

CONS:

*None :)

*Okay, fine. The roads suck here. I would never drive a new car here. But let's be honest, it's not like you'll be driving your car here.

*Grocery stores. Not my favorite, but again, you'd just be visiting ;)
*The flight is long. But if you're willing to give up a cheap vacay because of that, then something is wrong with you.

I think it's obvious what choice you have to make. Just pick a date and I'll pencil you in. 

8,227 Miles Away

It's been a strange couple of weeks here on the island. It hasn't been my favorite that's for sure. I'll start off with the typhoon that hit last week.

With storms in the Pacific, especially because we are such a small island, the path and direction of a storm can change so fast. Earlier in the week, we weren't really sure if it would be a direct hit, or a complete miss. The last direct hit to Guam was from a super typhoon in 2002. This storm was much bigger than the one that just hit us. To clarify, typhoons are hurricanes- they just call them by a different name over here. To be considered a super typhoon it has to have sustained winds for at least a minute of 150 mph which would be equivalent to a Category 4 or 5 in the Atlantic.

Nonetheless, we took precautions. With the last direct typhoon, the whole island was without power and water for weeks. So I ventured to Home Depot two days before with what seemed like majority of the islanders as well. I got a storm radio, battery operated lights, batteries, canned foods, water, and a trash can. The trash can was to fill with water, just in case we lost water.

Thankfully, John was home when the storm hit. It's more fun to have someone with you! Especially if the power goes out. Though, he slept most of the time because he had just worked a midnight shift. I might have woke him up a few times because I wanted him to watch the storm with me ;). Anyway, the storm didn't pick up speed until later in the evening, and the eye actually hit the north and middle of the island (we live in the middle). We were able to keep track of everything from someone he works with- our internet and phones stayed on for the entirety of the storm which was really nice.

Because the storm was here for a while we had to plan when to take Nala out to potty. As the winds grew stronger I was more afraid to let her outside for fear she'd fly away or get hit by a tree branch. Right before we knew the winds would be at their worst we let her go. Honestly, I thought she would be too afraid to go out at all. Especially with my panicky voice telling her to hurry. Instead she frolicked around and almost ran to the other side of the house. Thankfully she listened and came back haha!

In the end, the storm clocked in with sustained winds of 84 mph with gusts of 106-115 mph. I believe this is a Category 2/3 hurricane back home. It was definitely one of the strongest storms I've experienced. Of all the hurricanes I've been through I would probably equate it to Hurricane Charley back in 2004 (for the east coast side; I know the southwest coast had a much bigger impact).

All in all- we made it out just fine! We were without power for about 10-12 hours total which is not bad considering a lot of the island suffered longer, with anywhere between 3-7 days without power and water. We did lose a few trees in the yard-including our large mango tree which made me sad! Hopefully we won't have to deal with another storm anytime soon. Though the season hasn't even really begun!

This past week has been very emotional. My best friend and her family were hit with a life altering tragedy last Monday. Before moving here, I knew that there was a chance for events to happen that would make being here difficult. I just never thought it would happen so soon, or at all for that matter. Three years isn't a long time I thought.

This is the first time since moving here that I have literally felt on the other side of the world; 8,227 miles away to be exact. Having technology has helped so much with making me still feel connected to home. However, when things like this happen, being physically present and closer for that matter could never replace what technology has to offer. It is truly hard to grieve and be present so far away. However, one of the best things I've been leaning on this week has been the power of prayer. A sweet friend of mine reminded me that though we may feel powerless in circumstances like this, prayer is the most powerful thing we could ever offer. No wisdom or words or even hugs can take away the pain in the hearts of the ones I love, but truly believing that Jesus is present in their lives right now brings such comfort.

One of my absolute favorite songs is on one of my Indelible Grace CD's called "Pensive, doubting, fearful heart". The last stanza says this:

Though afflicted, tempest-tossed,
Comfortless awhile thou art,
Do not think thou canst be lost,
Thou art graven on my heart.
All thy walls I will repair,
Thou shalt be rebuilt anew,
And in thee it shall appear,
What a God of love can do.

The whole song is wonderful, and you can find the version I love here:
https://indeliblegrace.bandcamp.com/track/pensive-doubting-fearful-heart

GPS anyone?

Life is pretty much getting back to normal for us. We have found a new community of friends, our house is becoming home, and I'm slowly but surely getting used to finding things on the island.

One thing you quickly learn living on Guam is that GPS does not work here. At all. The streets don't match up and it usually sends you to weird places. People give directions by landmarks and Routes. And sometimes when you get invited to someone's house they make a map for you so you don't get lost. I have gotten really good at reading a map! I actually get really pumped when I don't get us lost (I navigate, John usually drives).

Another thing I'm learning is where to find different foods. Grocery shopping can be a pain here. We try to buy groceries that are minimally processed and organic if we can afford or find it. The commissary which is much cheaper than the grocery stores here has been great for certain things like milk, butter, bread, coffee, etc. But their produce is definitely hit or miss. Sometimes I have to sort through tons of garlic just to find some that don't have mold or sprouts growing out of them. Same for the fruit- they are usually too sour and don't taste fresh at all. However, there have been a few times I go in and to my surprise things look pretty good! There is no WalMart or Target or Sams Club. I miss Target pretty badly! I could go to just look around and not get anything (Let's be honest- that rarely happened). We have Payless, Cost U Less, and Kmart. My go to has been Payless- they have the best selection of organic products too! Even better than the small health food stores here. The problem with these is that they can be really expensive. I don't know how people afford it here! And they usually have what you are looking for in the most random spots.

There are some positives to this though! Night markets. Each village has one, and each one has local farmers selling produce. You can usually see people selling things on the side of the road, too. We haven't really been to a ton yet but I just found a local farmer who does baskets every week! I'm excited to try some local, seasonal produce to cook with. And farm fresh eggs! I love supporting small businesses especially when it doesn't break the bank!

There are so many things to do on this island, sometimes it's easy to forget until you start doing them.This seems to be the case anywhere you live, but what's so great about Guam is that locals here really love their island! There are festivals almost every month, 5K's every weekend, concerts, tours, hiking and all the normal American things like movies and restaurants. The only thing we haven't found is a great bookstore- Nerd alert: John and I love to have casual dates at Barnes and Noble. We are still in awe of the scenery we see driving up and down hills, seeing the cliffs at the beaches, and new places we discover just by driving. We have barely scratched the surface, and can't wait to find new things to experience!

Here are a few pictures of Two Lover's Point we went to the other day. Just a little back story. It's almost like Guam's Romeo and Juliet. Here is the legend http://www.puntandosamantes.com/the-legend.html

Love Locks

Alot of Japanese get married on Guam, it's a great destination wedding for them because we are so close! We actually saw a bride and groom while we were there. I usually see them at the beaches too.

Bluest water I've ever seen!

Some weird flower. Thought it was a feather at first! 

My first fresh coconut!

Not All Those Who Wander are Lost

So we have officially been on the island for a little over 2 months now. It is crazy just how much you can cram into that short of time. We are beginning to feel more at home with each week that passes. We have made a few friends!We also have had the best landlords. We hit the jackpot apparently. Living in Guam, one thing can be sure, you can either be those people who stay secluded in the American world or you can venture out into the different villages and experience the culture of Guam.

Some new things: We bought a car! Not exactly a Guam bomb though. We kept searching and just didn't feel comfortable putting in a couple thousand dollars to a car that might fall apart in the next 6 months. So we found one that was a little more expensive BUT is reliable and will actually have a good resale value when we leave. I know, cars that actually don't depreciate with time. Only in Guam. 

Now that John is able to drive himself to work, that has given me 2 extra hours of time! With no job, and only school, I have been doing ALOT of cooking. Which I love! So far I have made a few batches of cookies, bread, 6 jars of kimchi and sauerkraut, homemade larabars, watermelon sorbet, and every different concotion of smoothies. I think John is liking it despite the lower income lol. I hope to find a job soon though! Sending in another application this week. If not, I could totally get used to baking everyday...

We have officially begun our planning for our first trip! New Zealand. Hoping to go this fall! Other places on our list to visit are: Thailand-it comes highly reccommended here, Japan, South Korea, Palau, Saipan, and Hong Kong. Obviously we can't do all of these lol. So maybe yall can help us out- Where should we go? Oh and we are also going to Alaska next summer, but this trip will basically be free- thanks Jamie! 

Thailand: I have always been interested but John has been skeptical! It's not the safest of countries, but so many people here have said it's been one of their favorites. And they have brought kids! Apparently as long as you stay on the tourist path you are good to go. Who wouldn't want to hold a tiger and ride an elephant?? 

Japan: I LOVE Japanese food. And their culture is so intriguing to me! Also, they have Disneyland in Tokyo. John could care less, and I'm not a disney fanatic...but its disney Tokyo! Besides you can ride a train all the way across the country. Note: John does have the possibility to do a 3 month temporary assignment there in the next 3 years and I get to go with him. But thats not for sure!

South Korea: Food. Simply amazing. And we have friends from there so we know it's awesome! John has been there though. But that was a long time ago! 

Palau: I had never heard of Palau until our flight coming here. The guy I was sitting next to was going there. No we didn't talk about it, I was just a creeper and saw it on his plane ticket lol. But a ton of people here say it is one of the best places in the world. The best scuba and snorkeling. And just absolutely stunning. Note: it's another island, so not sure if that's what we want to do! But if it's that good, how can we not?

Saipan: We will probably just do this for fun! It's an island right above us. It's the largest of the Mariana Islands (Guam is part of this chain). It's not super expensive! Kinda like driving to Savannah for the weekend.

Hong Kong: People have highly suggested this too! Don't know much about what we would do except go to the Great Wall of China! 

We are only planning on doing 3 big trips. New Zealand and Alaska, and then one last one! Help us decide :)  

Last thing, we went to our first Chamorro barbeque on Easter! Our landlords invited us. They are BIG family people. When we first got there a little early, there were only a few people. An hour later, that turned into 40. 40 of the most welcoming, fun, loving people! I have never felt so loved by people I don't know. The best part is when you've been invited to one, you are almost guaranteed to be invited to every one after that.

We also took a trip around the south end of the island on Saturday! It took much longer than we thought but it was so so worth it. We took videos driving and are going to compile it into a short movie to show everyone! That way you get a better taste for the island. Not sure when that will happen, but sometime in the future. Also, to those I promised post cards...I still promise they are coming! I have them, just have to write and send them ;)

Guam is predominately Roman Catholic. Every year, hundreds hike this mountain and carry a cross in remembrance of Jesus' death and ressurection. It takes about 30-45 minutes to hike up. I zoomed in for this photo! 

Guam Bombs & Boonie Dogs

We are finally beginning to settle into our new home. It's been a whirlwind of emotions and stress. It's funny how you can plan and imagine what it'll be like, and be completely wrong when you get there. I thought we would be riding our bikes everywhere and walking to the beach with coconut drinks in hand and Nala by our side. Though the island is small, it's not that small. We found a house in the perfect location. We just wanted to make sure we found a safe place to live, and thankfully we did! Guam's crime mainly consists of theft and drugs. We found a cute little house smack dab in the middle of the island. We also live 5 minutes from the beach and downtown shopping and restaurants. All the churches we have been to are really close, too. The only bummer is John's work is about a 25-30 minute drive and we only have one car- so that means I get to drive him on days I need/want the car. And if I get a job down the road, we might need to get a Guam bomb(a really cheap beat up car that people buy to avoid nicer cars getting ruined from island climate). All in all, we love where we live so far! We are almost unpacked, its taken a few weeks because there is so much to get done when you first move, like transferring auto insurance, picking up my car that was shipped and having it inspected, transferring medical insurance, paperwork for work, literally the list keeps going but you get the idea lol. Today, I get the privilege of saying goodbye to my Florida drivers license and getting a Guam license! And finding rugs, because our whole house is tile and anyone who has a lab knows how much hair they shed... wish me luck!

Some things to know about Guam:

1) Boonie dogs. They are everywhere. They even travel in packs and look both ways before they cross the road. In fact there are so many that the shelters take them in and many people adopt them here! We are thinking about getting Nala a friend ;)

2) Coconut crabs aren't walking around everywhere. We still haven't seen one lol. But we haven't explored as much as we'd like! John is still anxious to see one.

3) There aren't brown tree snakes everywhere either. Haven't seen a single one, for those who tried to scare us by saying we'd hate it here ;)

4) I've seen more cockroaches than spiders. But no more than in Florida. There are a lot of geckos! I have found several in our house or around our house. But the idea is to not kill them! They eat the cockroaches. Thankfully, geckos don't scare me!

5) The best months are apparently Jan-March. It has been beautiful! Not too hot at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Downtown Tumon

When we brought Nala home from the kennel

 

 

 

Eyelashes for the car lol

 

Jet Lag is a Real Thing

It's been about a week since we began our journey to Guam. I'll begin with the morning we left.

Sunday, 1:45 A.M:

After a two hour nap, we stumbled out of bed and got Nala in the car. We were told to get to the airport about 3 hours before an international flight to drop of our dog. Thankfully, John's parents drove us and helped us out with finding where to go. Of course when we got to air cargo, they were closed. After hunting down an employee who worked for a different airline, he informed us that they usually didn't come in until 5 am, an hour before our flight. Wonderful. So we decided to take her to check in with us. Thankfully it all worked out, even with some small bumps along the way, and Nala was put on the plane with us. FYI for those traveling with pets as cargo overseas. They do in fact need to be checked in as cargo, not baggage, which is what they accidentally did at first. Anyway, we barely made it on the plane with about 15 minutes to spare with no breakfast or water in our system. Not the best way to start our 24 hour day. The first plane only lasted about 2 hours though! We landed in Houston with about an hour and half 'til our next flight, or so we thought.

9:50 A.M.:

This was the time we were supposed to leave for Hawaii. But nope, we really left at 12:50. Having been awake for 11 hours already, but with food in our bellies this time, we ventured on our 8 hour flight to Honolulu. We had window seats which made it sooo much better! Flying into Honolulu was amazing. I was sitting next to the window so I was able to get some really great shots. (I'll post them later when we get out of the hotel) The airline got us free cab and free hotel for the night which was a huge blessing. We were really glad to get some much needed sleep after 24 hours of being awake. We didn't get to search the island too much, but considering we were moving to an island, we didn't really care.

Monday, 2:50 P.M.:

This flight was not my favorite. Apparently it's actually better to fly through Tokyo instead of Honolulu because they put you on old planes through HI. Which wasn't so bad from Houston, but they had to switch our seats and we got put smack dab in the middle between people on both sides of us. 8 hours of uncomfortable sitting. And they don't give you food, except for purchase. Let's just say I will never complain about driving 8 hours in my life. Every rest stop will be filled with walking, peeing, and lots of snacks whenever we want. I did get to watch some free movies though!

Tuesday, 6:40 P.M.:

Yes, you read that right. No, the flight was not 28 hours long. That's just how crazy the time difference is in Guam compared to the mainland. So you can imagine just how crazy we felt. We were greeted by some of John's coworkers. They have been so great and hospitable already! We still can't believe how nice they have been. Our sponsor (we get assigned one from John's work every time we move), got us one of the best hotels in the area, right on the beach and in the middle of downtown Tumon. Which btw, there are no cities here, just villages. Once we got our stuff in our room, we had to fight the urge to go to sleep and walked down to a local breakfast spot. The food was delicious! We have noticed that just about every restaurant we go to has rice based meals. You can eat fried rice for breakfast here! Which is heaven for me, considering Asian food is my favorite!



It took a few days to adjust to the time difference. Jet lag is a real thing and it sucks. We'd be fine for a few hours and then just exhausted and foggy for the next two. The best thing we did was not take naps. Every time we got tired we made ourselves get up and walk around. Our goal was to at least stay up until 8:30 or 9. We woke up at 4 am one morning wide awake but other than that its been okay. About 6 am every morning so far. I'm just glad the groggy exhaustion part seems to be over!

For those of you who wanted to know, Nala is safe and sound. We have her in the kennel on base and we visit her everyday to play with her. She is a very timid dog around strangers in unknown places, but when she hears our voices and sees us she gets so excited! We can't wait to take her home with us.

We are still in the process of looking at places to rent. We have found a few we like and are looking at more today! They are much different from the states, but have island character! We'll update with pictures once we've gotten settled in a place.

A few of our favorite things so far:

1)The view, the beach, the water. There are no highways here, but just about everywhere we drive there is a view. The cliffs, jungle trees, the water. All are just spectacular! It seems unreal that we live here now.

2) The food. Everything we have eaten has been delicious! Except for McDonald's haha. Yes we have had to eat there a few times, it just helps save money. But like I said, I love love love Asian food. Any kind. We went to this Thai place the other night, best phat Thai I have ever had!

3) Locals are really nice! They have been nothing but helpful and friendly. Excited to get to know them more!



Next post will be pictures! Love you all and miss you guys.


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End in Sight

So we are finally coming up on our big move. It's taken about a year, and we are more than ready. We moved from Louisiana in November and have been in limbo living in a hotel since. Needless to say, hotel living for 2 months is not that fun. I have made a pros and cons list for anyone ever having to do the same.

Pros:
1) No cleaning; our maid has been amazing.
2) Saving money on renting a house.
3) Being jobless for two months has it's perks- frees up more time to get the endless paperwork done for moving to Guam. And time for school (getting my masters for anyone who didn't know).
4) Not having to be separated from John. This is a huge, unexpected blessing. Usually with trainings this short, wives and families don't get to live together. Of course this means living in a hotel, but it's totally worth it. And yes, having kids makes it harder, but we've seen couples here doing it.
5) There is a small grill outside our room! Big blessing for a few nights out of the week.

Cons:
1) No kitchen. Now for some of you this might have been in the Pros list. However, I love to cook. It's relaxing, it's healthier, saves money, and I'm good at it.
2) Eating out all the time is not as fun as it seems. Drains your wallet, and your body.
3) There is a dining facility we can go to for lunch, but let's be honest. It's not that good. However, it has helped us save money, and it is nice deviating from the daily pb&j's.
4) One room. While John gets to leave and go to work everyday, I don't have a job. Or a house to clean. Or food to cook. So if this happens to you, make it a point to leave for a few hours each day. I have two coffee shops I go to. Tea and coffee is relatively inexpensive, and with saving on rent this is definitely worth my sanity.
5) We can't have our dog with us. Which has been nice in some ways, but anyone who has pets knows how dear they are to you. We miss her a lot! Thankfully we have family that can take care of her. If not, the only option is a kennel. For TWO months. So save up now if that's your only option.


Things to be thinking/praying about in the next month:

*That we get our car shipped out before we move. This has been the most annoying. We would love not to have to place the burden of driving to a port on family members. The biggest issue is getting a printed copy of my title. Apparently 7-10 days could mean 3-4 weeks by the state of Florida. Just in case anyone is curious ;) Pray that it makes it to our place by next week!

*That we get our paperwork and reservations done in a timely manner. I know I've mentioned paperwork before, but I'm not even kidding. There is paperwork for just about everything.

*Nala's safe travels. I hate that we have to ship her as cargo. She's a very insecure dog and gets scared easily. She also has to stay the night in Hawaii without us. Not my favorite option, but praying it will be an okay experience for her!

*Patient hearts. It's easy to get wrapped up in the list of things to do. If we could be there now, we would. Not because Guam is that exciting, but because the list can take over your life. We have learned to take time out and go on dates.

*Time with friends & family. We will have a short time before we leave. We have never been this far from loved ones!


The next time I write, we will hopefully be settled into our new home in GUAM! I'll be sure to post lots of pictures :)

-Katie