Guamie

Hafa Adai everyone,

This week marks exactly a month before the semester is over, which means it is crunch time for most of us still in school. It also means there's about a month left until summer vacation. Summer vacation, for most of us, is a time to relax, make memories with your friends, and travel. For me, however, things are a bit different due to pending military trainings set for the summer, but once that is finished, I'll be heading back to my home island of Guam to spend the rest of my summer vacation.

It's been quite busy for me lately, with all these responsibilities that I have to take care of, but I've been longing for home often lately, starting to count down the days I have until returning home for the summer.

Let me tell you a bit about Guam. The island is located at 13 deg N latitude and 144 deg E longitude. The island is about 30 miles long and 12 miles wide at its longest width. The population is about 160,000, small enough to identify most people by their last names. You can say the island is similar to the outer islands of Hawaii, but with a much more humid climate. There are about a million tourists that visit the island each year, mostly from Japan and Korea, but the natural beauty is barely affected by the tourism.

Guam's main university, the University of Guam, serves about 4,000 students - consisting of both residents and international students - and is located along the beautiful coast of the Pago Bay. The island is known for its delicious food and overwhelming hospitality.

I miss my family, friends, and my secret cliffside spot behind my home. The waters are tropical and blue, the diving is great, and to me, it's home. I suggest that if you have a chance, make sure to visit Guam! You won't regret it. Here are some fun facts about Guam:

Fun Facts
-Guam has the world's largest Kmart
-Guam's location is adjacent to the Mariana Trench, which is home to the deepest point in the ocean floor
-About a third of the island's land mass is owned and operated by the U.S. military
-Guam's unofficial motto, "Where's America's Day Begins," refers to the time zone (GMT +10:00)
-Guam's military bases (Naval Base Guam and Andersen Air Force Base) are the most important bases in the Pacific due to its strategic location close to East Asia and Hawaii
-Guam's original name in its native language of Chamorro is "Guahan"
-Guam has the highest per capita enlistment rate in the US military in the nation