I move in less than a month. It’s also our anniversary month, and my birth month. So, there is a lot going on. Rich and I are not looking forward to living apart for six months while he goes to school and I set up a home for us in Hawaii, but that’s just part of the military life, so we’ll make it work.
The Wooden Show Tulip Festival on a trip back to Oregon from Guam.
I have really enjoyed everything we have done here on Guam.
I loved the work I did to help the animal shelter here (called Guam Animals in Need.) I loved the volunteering I did with NOAA to help monitor the reef, and to donate photos for promotional materials. I loved the friends I made and the reefs I snorkeled. And, when I was working, I loved Sea Grill and Pika’s.
At the coast on a recent trip back to the states.
Now, it’s time to look forward.
I guess we won’t be able to be as eager for visitors in Oahu as we were in Guam. We had more space in Guam, and I had time to show people around. I am afraid those are luxuries we won’t enjoy in Hawaii.
We’ll do our best, of course. But I think if you visit us in Hawaii you’ll need to get a hotel near by and see us on the weekend. Different island; different life.
At GAIN helping a puppy calm down after surgery.
I’m nervous to look for a job on Oahu. I’ve heard that the wages are low and the cost of living is high. If there’s anyone you know or any professional connection you have that could help me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. My email is still jenifer.delemont@gmail.com.
On a trip to Maui where I went on a black sand beach tour.
Oahu offers all new hikes and all new reefs. I am looking forward to that. Guam has been lovely, but it is very hot and tropical here. The cool breezes of Oahu will seem like a dream come true!
I am sure I will spend a lot of happy weekends under water and out on hiking trails, which is something I am really looking forward to.
Last summer we went to the family reunion and then visited the glacier on top of Mt. Hood.
I guess what I am trying to say is: the future looks bright.
I may not update this blog for awhile because I’ll be busy with house-hunting and job-hunting. However, I adore you all very much, and I promise to tell you all about my new home once we settle in.
As I get ready to leave Guam this year in August, I am feeling nostalgic about places I have lived and visited.
I have been so lucky so have had such cool adventures. I thought I would tell you about some of my favorites.
I grew up in Arizona. People think that it’s all desert, and some of it is. However, a lot of Arizona is also forest. It’s a very diverse state.
Me with Oak Creek Canyon Behind MeOn My Way to GraduationIn Flagstaff with a fernAt Havasu Falls inside The Grand Canyon
Then, there was South Korea. I loved it there so much! I got to experience seasons for the first time. I also got to teach cute kids and make lots of friends that I still keep in touch with.
I also learned to read and write Hangul, which is the Korean written language. My spoken Korean is not as good as my Spanish, but I did my best.
South Korea is an amazing country. If anyone is thinking of visiting: I recommend it!
In Busan in front of the AquariumAt EverLand, and Amusement Park in South KoreaAt the Folk Village in Suwon, South KoreaAt the Cherry Blossom Festival in Seoul
I also went to Japan and spent some time there. I really liked the Shinto cemeteries, which have clapping sticks to keep the dead company.
I went to a Cherry Blossom Festival, enjoyed the night life, had tea at a traditional tea house, and in general just enjoyed Tokyo. It was a beautiful place to visit, and I hope to go back some day.
Uneo Park in TokyoIn front of a Pagoda in JapanIn front of a stone lanternA Shinto Cemetery I visted
France was amazing as well. The food was so good! I know it’s a cliche to say that the food was the best part, but it really was impressive.
I went for Christmas, so I got to see Paris all decked out for the holiday. It was cold, but thankfully there was no snow. I get cold so easily since I am from the desert…
Standing in front of the Eiffel TowerIn front of Notre DameAmazing Cheesecake in ParisIn front of the Louvre
I also went to England to visit my cousin Stacy. It was really lovely.
Being an American, I guess I think of the U.K. as where most of our culture came from. It certainly has a certain amount of familiarity to it.
The British Museum was a lot of fun, and I tried my first fish and chips after! I also saw all the London Landmarks.
Big Ben and the London EyeAt the British Museum with my cousin StacyMe with Big BenIn front of Westminster Abbey
As for Thailand, I always wanted to go there, because I worked at a Thai restaurant in High School and they made it sound so amazing. I have to say, after 20 years of wanting to see it, I was not disappointed! I got to meet elephants, swim in the ocean, and check out several temples.
I only spent a month backpacking around in Thailand, and it left barely long enough. Definitely plan a long trip if you go!
On a waterfall hike outside Chang MaiAn orchid stall at the flower market in Bangkok.On the island of Koh Samui.Meeting elephants!
Australia is fabulous! I really fell in love with the land and the people.
I went to visit my friends Melissa and Shari, but I had always wanted to see the country as well. I felt drawn to it because most of Australia is as dry as Arizona. They could also easily rival each other in terms of dangerous animals.
I highly recommend visiting Australia.
The Blue MountainsHiking in the Blue MountainsA blue grouper in the ocean in Sydney.Watson’s Bay in SydneyThe opera houseIn the rain forest in KurandaOn the Great Barrier Reef
I lived in Oregon after South Korea and before Guam.
It is where my family still lives. My mom is in Gresham, which is right outside Portland. And, my aunt is in Hood River. We have our family reunions in Seaside.
I love the Pacific Northwest. Even though I didn’t grow up there, having my family live there makes it feel like home.
At the Shakespeare Garden in PortlandAt the Japanese Gardens in PortlandAt the lava flats in OregonAt the Oregon Coast Aquarium
Guam has been fabulous.
At first it was a little hard to move to an island. Islands are so small, and it’s a challenge to find anything on island (food and clothes, for example.) Sometimes all the stores are just out of everything. And no one delivers to Guam!
However, I really came to love the reefs here and the whole underwater world. It’s been so much fun, and Rich has liked his job here on the USS Emory S. Land.
Rich and I at Umatac BayJust me scuba divingHiking to waterfalls in the jungleA bite of dragon fruit, which grows here on GuamTumon Bay where I live
And now we are off to Oahu. I have visited several times, since we need to go through Oahu to get anywhere from Guam. So far, I have really enjoyed it. I am terrified about buying a house there and finding a job. But, I know I’ll be able to do it.
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