Originally from Omaha, Nebraska, in the middle of the USA, our move to Guam has been an adventure of the senses. My favorite part so far is the gorgeous expanse of sky, gloriously painted at sunrise and sunset, set against the backdrop of thick jungles covering volcanic rock and limestone. Guam was formed from 3 volcanoes, of which 2 sank into the ocean depths; half of the island is volcanic rock and the other half is limestone, from years of buildup from corals and sea life, I assume.

Guam is a US Territory, where “America starts its day”… a small tropical island on the edge of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean. It has a rich history and a lively cultural heritage of the native Chamorro people, as well as influences from foreign invaders, trade, missionaries. Our young son, Wyatt, studies the Chamorro language in his school, and we recently went to a few of the cultural festivities at the annual FestPac event. I could seriously write several blogs about Guam and all of our adventures here on-island!

Life is slower here, paced, relaxed, laid back, meandering. Nowhere on the island can one drive faster than 45 mph, since there are no interstates and no highways between the villages. Everyone smiles and says “Hafa Adai!”

Guam is surrounded with coral reefs and miles and miles and miles of ocean. Here, the sun shines most every day ~ even during rain showers! It’s always warm and breezy and flowers bloom year round, for the butterflies and bees, I suppose. I’ve also seen women picking flowers off of the humongous hibiscus bushes to make into colorful leis they wear around their neck. I have seen so many of Guam’s butterflies, some are small and pale yellow, others are large black with blue, white or yellow markings, and I have seen monarchs as well.

Bugs of all kinds make Guam their home too: dragonflies, praying mantis, walking stick and leaf bugs, giant moths, millipedes, centipedes, cockroaches, fire ants, spiders, spiders, spiders the size of a CD!… and the strange-looking rhino beetles that are ravaging and depleting the coconut palm trees. Guam also has brown tree snakes, poisonous toads, gecko lizards that like to run along the tops of the walls in the house, the ko’ko bird, which I have seen fly, and the giant coconut crab, which I’ve only seen once since we arrived. It was actually in the parking lot of Pizza Hut!

The jungles creep up around the house and leave coconuts in the yard. Coconuts, and other native fruits and plants, are staples used by the Chamorro in their authentic recipes. There are many family-run catering companies and restaurants serving local dishes, especially at open markets in the villages, but my favorites would still be the homemade potato salad, red rice, and BBQ made by our friends and by my neighbor. Village festivals and family gatherings are common and everyone is always welcomed with a generous helping of hospitality and laughter.

Wild ‘boonie’ dogs and so many wild chickens and roosters freely roam about the yards and streets and open spaces, while wild boar and caribou take cover in the dappled cool of the jungle bamboo and under the broad, smooth waxy green leaves and vines, clinging like green frosting with clusters of pink and white flowers on cupcakes. ~ I wonder, do the boar and caribou eat the bamboo there?

Once, while Matt and I were out riding on the bike, I saw a 4 and ½ foot hilitai monitor lizard, just running across a barely graveled narrow red dirt road that trailed off somewhere into the jungle … and recently, we had a small hilitai lizard staying with us. We named him Blue Flash, but he wasn’t able to overcome the injuries he had sustained from the neighbor’s cat before we met him. We thank him for his message and wish him well on his journey.