Cliff Jumps and Fist Pumps

I hope you all had a marvelous Christmas this year. Right about now, most of you are probably enjoying things like hot chocolate, snowboarding, or even something as simple as trying to see your breath in the brisk night air. My holiday season has been quite different than what I am used to, but has definitely been a fun one to remember. So Christmas day, after working all day and then some, all of my fellow employees and I had a big Christmas party in our tower. I decided to make the traditional Irish Christmas drink that I have had growing up called Wassail to share with everyone and to sort of remind me of times at home. It turned out to be a big hit with everyone, and just like that it was gone. Sort of like Christmas. I feel like it came and went so quickly this year that I barely had time to embrace the holiday cheer. I mean, I still rocked my Christmas music everyday that I love so much, but I feel like it all went rushing by. Good thing I am taking pictures because time in Guam seems to fly, and already I am looking back at pictures from my first weeks here and thinking wow, that was already two months ago?! All in all, Christmas was a blast. Coconuts instead of candy canes, palm trees instead of Douglas firs, and sand instead of snow... I definitely signed up for this!

On a different note, I have a funny story that will probably gross some of you out, but thats okay because it's life here in Guam. So, about a week or so ago some friends and I were having a mellow night just hanging out on the balcony talking and what not and all of the sudden we get a glimpse of some sort of huge flying insect or something that was buzzing around. We all scurry inside only to be followed by the creature. "Oh it's just a moth", says my friend Kate as she goes over to scoop it up and throw it outside. Then as clear as her shrill scream, it was soon evident that this was no moth, but instead a cockroach the size of a digital camera (random reference I know, but I was looking around and saw my camera and it was literally the same size). SO we all get grossed out and the girls are running around while I am laughing my head off. The cockroach is flying around the room, seemingly aiming for our heads as it flies straight into us, which causes more havoc! My friend Ryann then grabs a mason jar and tries to trap it on the wall but barely misses and only gets its body with the head squirming about on the edge of the jar. Completely repulsed, I finally take action and slip a thick piece of cardboard paper over the top, trapping it inside. I then run back to the balcony and throw the bug off into the night, slamming the door behind me. Flabbergasted and speechless we all sat down half terrified, half wondering if that really just happened. Moral of the story, bugs here are big..keep the balcony door closed.

So to take your mind off of giant cockroaches I'll tell you about my new little toy. A few friends I and went in and bought a little moped. This may not seem like a big deal, but try going two months without a car and then you'll see how much harder it is to do simple things like send out mail or grab groceries. So I'm stoked on the little guy because now I have my own ride to go play water polo Tuesday and Thursday nights, which I am not sure if I had previously mentioned but my boss plays with the Guam national Water Polo team and he invited me to come play as well. Turns out they all liked me a lot and thought I was pretty good so they want me to go to the Philippines with  them for a tournament! I'll tell you more about that when it gets closer. So anyways the scooter is super fun, and I am now able to do a lot more, however there are tropical storms here in Guam that occur just about everyday. I didn't think much of it when I saw the storm clouds begin to darken, and actually enjoyed the mist that was cooling me off until that mist became little bee bee's pelting me all over. It started pouring rain and I dunno if you have been hit by rain going 40/50 mph, but it's not fun. I kept on trying to decide whether to pull over or just tough it out and try and get back home. Luckily the storm passed within a few more minutes and I was in the clear. Moral of the story, rain hurts.. bring a raincoat.

See, I am learning soo much here in Guam. If you are ever stranded on an island..call me up, I'll help out out..so now for the best part of this week. My adventure back to Ratidian and Marbo Caves! So on my day off I wasn't really sure what I was going to do, so at moments notice I heard some people were going to Ratidian (the beach I wrote about in my first blog) and so of course I wanted to go back. It's the most beautiful beach I've ever laid eyes on. So we headed out and spent the day basking in the sun on white sandy beaches, eating coconuts and playing in the clear waters. Now, my buddy Kevin was set on jumping off of something that day and so we decided to leave the beauty of the beach to try and find a cliff jumping spot near Marbo Caves (the caves I wrote about last week). Sure enough we had arrived. Jagged thirty to forty foot cliffs leading straight into the blue Pacific, well for the most part. Turns out it is one of those cliff jumps that you have to time just right and land in just the right spot to be safe. Perfect! So there I was standing on the edge of the cliff, looking down at where I was supposed to land. You'll see in the video, on one side there are shallow rocks that surface when the tide goes out, on the other are dark shadows of rocks hiding just three feet below the surface. So as I am mustering up enough courage to take the leap I start to think; Will I be sucked into the cove and be thrashed up against the rocks becoming nothing more than fish food? Will I miss the rock that I am supposed to climb up once I am in the water and be swept out to sea by the pulling current? Will I even land between the two rock shelves in safe water? And then I thought, this is why I didn't take those desk jobs back in SD.. This is my adventure.

Love and miss you all,

Shark's Cove, Karaoke & Secret Santa

Yet another week has flown by here in Guam and I cannot believe Christmas is just three days away! Even though the week flew by, it was still jam packed full of fun and adventure. I'll start off by telling you about my trek to Shark's Cove: So on my day off this week, a few friends and I decided to check out this spot that we had heard of from a few locals. There were a few different names of the place that different people had called it. We first heard Shark's Hole, then Shark's den, and finally Shark's Cove, (which is the one I'm going with). All in all we knew this place involved sharks for some reason and we wanted to check it out. So upon arriving to the trail head we were told that we were just supposed to hike about a mile north once we had reached the beach and "you'll just know when you get there" (just kind of how things are here). So we started our expedition north bound over jagged, water corroded rocks, through vines and plants towering above us like skyscrapers, and of course strolled down white sandy beaches. We saw some pretty incredible sights along the way, like this single tree that held hundreds and hundreds of butterflys as if it was some sort of nest. They were everywhere! Deep black in color with vibrant purple markings. We also saw a dear that had either drowned or died of disease. It was such a tragic scene amongst such amazing encompassing beauty. Circle of life I suppose.
The hike only took about thirty minutes or so when we arrived upon our destination, and boy did we know it. This beach was completely secluded, with striking, natural scenic views as far as the eye could reach. And I could see how this gorgeous spot had so many names. It was in a breathtaking cove, and in the cove was what looked like a turquoise hole where sharks may have a den.. if sharks had dens that is.. SO, we spent the entire afternoon snorkeling, eating coconuts, and just taking in all the beauty that was around us. We didn't end up seeing any sharks (probably for the best) but we did see some pretty impressive looking fish. When we finally decided to pull ourselves away from this paradise, we were lucky enough to catch an electrifying sunset that painted the sky all sorts of beautiful colors. It is always so hard to leave these unique spots, but I know that if I wanted to, I could go back again. Which I for sure will.
So this week we had the company Christmas party, which was definitely a lot of fun. I have never been to a Christmas party for work before, so it was interesting to see some of my co-workers out of the work setting and letting loose a bit. One of our local lounges hosted us, serving drinks and what not, but the best part was the food dishes that the local employees brought. My mouth was in heaven! It was different takes on some foods I have had before, but with a Chamorro twist on it, and also foods that I have never even heard of that were to die for. Long story short, they had to roll me home because of the amount of delicious food I had had. Another great part of the night was the Secret Santa gift exchange that went on. You all know how Secret Santa gift exchanges work, so it was fun to do it with people that I work with. I ended up getting an Axe Body Wash kit. I'm not sure if it's because I smell bad, or if it's just a cool guy gift, but either way I am getting good use out of it. All in all it was a great night to see the people I see everyday but in a setting where they could be themselves and cut loose.
So about 11 employees and I decide that we wanted to sing our hearts out at one of the many karaoke bars here. Karaoke bars here are like Starbuck's back home; they are on every street corner and overcharge. So anyways, we go in and grab a room and start singing till the sun came up.. actually just till 2 when the guy behind the bar told us to go. I'm sure he was tired of our crazy singing and shenanigans that we were doing all night. I share this because part of why I love this place is because of nights like this, where someone says hey lets do this or that, and almost always people are down to do it whether it is a bonfire, going to a bar, or a fun night singing karaoke. The people here are great, and I really am making some lifelong friends.
Well I wish I could wish all of you a very Merry Christmas in person. It's going to be different working all day on the one day that I have had off my entire life. It's all part of the job though, the job that get's better and better with each passing day.

Love and miss you,

Caves, Cuts and Coconuts

Yet another exciting week here in Guam full of stories to write to all of you about. This week has been a week filled with learning which started off well with an opportunity to learn how to sail. I have gone out a few times in San Diego Bay with friends, but haven't really had proper training on the activity. I have been particularly excited about this new venture to learn how to sail because not all marine center employees are chosen to lead sailing excursions especially at the current busy time of year for PIC. Now I'm not sailing a 40 ft yacht or anything, but it is a six passenger catamaran that is quite fun to take out, especially on blustery days.  Maybe it's the sight of the vibrant colored fish below or the scenic lush green landscape onshore or possibly just the freedom of being out on the open water, but sailing is unquestionably one of the most peaceful and relaxing endeavors I have taken interest in. Part of the excitement is also is just seeing the astonished looks on the tourists faces when they see how exotic this beautiful island is.
So I decided to take up learning Japanese which has been a bit challenging, but also fun. I am starting to learn this interesting language for a few reasons: First, I haven't touched a book since graduating back in May, which I know is terrible, but I have to admit I am actually having a slight, slight, slight withdrawal from academics. Second, it is nice to be able to communicate with some of the guests in a manner other than attempting a game of charades. And thirdly, I get a raise..not bad. This past weekend I played in Guam's national qualifier for beach volleyball. I wasn't expecting to take first place or anything, but it was great to get out there and play some competitive beach volleyball. My teammate and I ended up taking 5th in the tournament..however there were only eight teams, haha. I have also found a great new snack that is delicious, healthy and free! Well sort of free, in the sense that I don't have to pay for it, but it does cost quite a bit of effort. Coconuts! Whenever I am on a break or want to take a stroll down the beach, I  go and look for coconuts. Sounds a bit weird I know, but they are actually quite healthy for you and are super tasty.
Yesterday was my day off, and you know what that means; Adventure! So a few friends and I went out to scale Mount LamLam. Now it may only stand at 1300ft, but the climb was brutal. First off, we weren't able to find the trail head, so we decided to blaze our own trail...bad idea. At first it was fun hiking through the tall grassy hillside, but then the soft golden grass became thick and sharp to be what is known as sword grass for, yes you guessed it, the reason that it cuts you like the worst paper cut you have ever had at the slightest graze of a single blade of grass. Before we knew it the grass was towering a couple feet above us, the wind started to blow and the cuts began to bleed. We were trapped on a steep hillside in what seemed to be a torturous frenzy of angry, sharp grass. Every movement was punished with a slice here or a cut there. Running away from the dilemma only provoked more painful slices. I think I counted over 30 small nicks on my arms, legs and face! Now as stingingly unpleasant as it was, this was sort of comical at the same time because even though  these paper cuts were painful, as paper cuts are, they were still just paper cuts. Upon telling this story to some of my local friends, they had quite a good laugh and simply replied, "it's called sword grass for a reason"...lesson well learned.
Unfortunately the grass was too overbearing for us to complete our journey to the summit, however upon our defeated return the rental car, we decided to check out Marbo Caves on the eastern side of the island. So if you have ever looked in a National Geographic magazine and seen the huge holes in the ground with vines and trees flourishing out of them, it was sort of like that, but with the freshest, clearest water I have ever seen at the bottom. These underwater caves were amazing! A bit scary at first since I was completely trusting my buddy when he said to hold my breath under water and feel around for about 10ft in pitch darkness until I could see a bit of light. Totally worth it though.  Upon surfacing on the other side of this close to unreachable water cave, I was suddenly immersed in turquoise waters with the most intricate rock formations I have ever seen overhead. The pictures don't do the justice of how beautiful this really was. It was incredible to see these small natural crevices leading to these astounding caves. After the cave we took a quick trip the coast where the dense greenery ran straight into the pounding sea. After the hike it was time to head back to PIC for a solid meal and some more Japanese!
Other things going on around PIC to look forward to is our annual Christmas party, where PIC rents out one of the local lounges and we all either chip in ten bucks or bring a holiday festive dish... I'll be bringing my ten bucks. There is also going to be a "Secret Santa" gift exchange which should be fun to see who gets who, what.

Love and miss you..

The Holidays Begin

Well I guess its officially the holiday season now, however if it weren't for the decorating crews here at the resort putting up Christmas trees and lights, I probably wouldn't know it because its still in the 80's and humid with no forecast of change, haha. The weather reporters have it pretty easy here.."hot and sunny with a chance of wind and rain" haha. I'm not complaining though, I love it here. I mean yes I am going to miss snowboarding and the cabin trips up to Big Bear, but by far I will be missing all of you the most. I have met some friends out here that are cool, but theres no one like you guys back home.
Anyyyywayyysss, so Thanksgiving was last week, and everyone here at dorm.. (I'm gonna refer to my living quarters, which is the first 3 floors of a massive 32 story tower, as the dorm because its where all the employees like myself reside and it reminds me of a college dorm, haha).. So we all came together and each made a dish or brought a drink or pitched in money so that we could have our own little version of Thanksgiving. It turned out quite well as far as attendance and really different as far as what was brought. We have all sorts of people here in the dorm; Korean, Mexican, Japanese, Russian, Taiwanese and American so the dishes brought were literally from around the world, and boy were they good. There were "Korean Pancakes, bbq short ribs, mash potatoes, quesadillas, Vegan salads, couscous. Truly a cornucopia of foods and flavor that were to die for.
After overindulging ourselves with all of the tastiness that was brought, we danced and ran down to the beach for a bonfire until all hours of the night. We even sent fire kites, which is a candle underneath a paper bag like structure, into the night sky and watched them float off into the distance. Definitely one of the most different Thanksgivings I have lived, but certainly one to remember.
So training finally finished, and I am officially official to work all areas here at PIC. This is exciting because I am leading my own expeditions without help or a "shadow". I am having tons of fun with it. The guests hardly speak any English, so really everything I say I get to charade it or try and communicate in some way to make them understand. Kind of hard at first, but its sort of like an art that I am trying to perfect, haha. Windsurfing was an adventure. I had a windsurfing group that went alllll over the place. I swear the wind was just messing with us just for fun. I had guests blowing all sorts of directions, but they still had huge grins on their faces and seemed to be enjoying themselves, so I considered it a success, and I guess so did my boss since one of the guests commented on how much fun they had to him. Gold star!
So on my day off this week I wasn't really planning on doing anything, but of course you can't just do nothing here and so I ended up meeting up with some other employees that had the day off and we drove to this hike that led down to this hidden bay. It was awesome. We hiked 45 minutes through dense jungle, brush, mud, stuff I've never seen before and absolutely loved it. I saw all kinds of exotic birds, bugs, reptiles, and when we finally made it to the beach, we stepped foot in the sand and saw an amazing outlet where a fresh water creek ran right into the ocean. There were scary looking eels, and when I stood still the sand seemed to be moving right beneath me because of the multitude of hermit crabs that were scurrying about. Of course after exploring a bit, it was time to crack open a coconut and just relax. That's the best part of long hikes right? Especially when you're watching nature at its finest. After the hike we made the long trek back, enjoyed some local foods and called it a day.
Can't wait to see what adventures this next week brings!

Love and miss you all..