When I first went there, it was so good that I could only describe it as heaven on earth. During my one-year internship at a resort in downtown Guam, I made a variety of friends, including Koreans, Japanese, Taiwanese, and Russians from other universities, Chamorros born and raised in Guam, Filipinos from neighboring islands, and Americans from the mainland big United States. I remember that the total number of employees who worked in the hotel at the time was over 750. So I managed to meet many people without leaving the hotel.
As I was working 3 shifts in a hotel, it was hard to know in advance when I would be away, and my schedules were all different, so there were only a handful of days when I could spend time with my close friends, but yet, when my days off overlapped with my close friends, I was playing badminton, kayaking, or playing badminton in the hotel facilities. We rented a paddle board and played in the water, or went shopping outside the hotel or looked for delicious desserts. Since I didn’t have a car, I mostly walked or took the shuttle bus that gave me a free ride at the mall. There were times when I asked local friends to drive me, and once in a while, I rented a car myself and went out to play. Even though I didn’t have to do anything, the days of just driving, swimming in the sea, drinking beer, and looking at the stars were beautiful day and night, so I remember being filled with happiness.
The things I did most in Guam were shopping and playing in the water. There’s a cheap store called Ross in Guam, and I went there often because they had everything from shoes, accessories, and clothing to kitchenware and daily necessities, except for what they said they didn’t have. I don’t know how often I went swimming. From famous seas crowded with tourists to calm seas hidden throughout the island, as well as hotels concentrated in downtown Tumon, I went swimming whenever I had the chance. When I first arrived in Guam, I didn’t even know how to float, but later, although I was only a dog swimmer, I could swim quite well and even float awkward in the middle of the deep sea.
I wasn’t particularly interested in seeing life in the water, so I usually lay on a towel on the sand to get a tan, and when it got hot, I went into the water to cool off. On the day I decided to go out, I filled the icebox with ice, packed lots of water and beer, and packed a portable grill with charcoal, meat, tongs, burners, and ramen and headed to the ocean. After finishing the setup with my friends, we had a barbeque while watching the sunset over the sea in the shade of a tree with loud island music playing.
We also had boat parties quite often when celebrating someone’s birthday or a farewell event. We called the special entertainment in Guam, where we rented a boat with 50 people on board and drank, swam, and had fun in the middle of the ocean, a booze cruise instead of boats. I remember it was about $1,500 to rent a boat and a couple of sailors for three hours. If split between 50 people, it was $30 per person, and each person brought their own favorite food and drinks. Boat hire hours were always between 4 and 7 pm, so we enjoyed a party from late afternoon until dusk, when the sun wasn’t too hot. If you were lucky, you might even see a pod of dolphins.
happy My personality has also become much lighter. In Korea, I always sat at my desk and looked at the small print in books, but in Guam, I looked far beyond the ocean horizon and my eyesight even improved. Every day felt like paradise, but after 11 months, I started to get tired of the little island. Ross: I got tired of shopping and swimming became a chore. But that doesn’t mean I want to go back to Korea. However, it was a bit boring and everything in Guam was familiar, so it wasn’t new. After the 12 month internship was over, I lived for the remaining four years.
Other activities you can do in Guam include food trucks around the Chamorro Night Market, farmers markets on the weekends, or Sunday brunch at the hotel buffet on Sundays. Having spent most of my time at home, occasionally going out to find food like this has become an event that only happens a few times a year. When I felt unfair that I couldn’t enjoy nature as much as I lived in Guam, which has beautiful scenery, I went out with a tripod and took myself with the sea in the background.
Although I liked to drink, I didn’t like going to clubs or bars to hang out, so I always hung out with my friends at home. We all chatted, played board games, or watched movies while drinking. Very occasionally, when I wanted to sing, I would go to karaoke and take turns singing with everyone in the bar. I wrote down the title of the song I wanted to sing and the name of the singer, handed it to the counter, and the bartender made me an order. Since most bars were closed between midnight and 2 am, I always got home not too late.
All in all, it was a healthy and relaxed life. Everything was slow and quiet. I was very grateful for the monotonous daily life that had lasted for quite some time. When I eventually left Guam, I felt no regrets. Although it was sad to say goodbye to my remaining friends, many of my close friends had already moved to the US mainland a long time ago. There weren’t many people who wanted to live their whole lives on that little island.
I think about it now, more than a year after I left. Guam, it feels cozy when I think about it, but it’s my second hometown that I really don’t want to go back to, even if I have the chance. My little island, which I feel very fond of, but don’t lose it. A precious and beautiful memory from my childhood that I will never forget.
#lived #small #island #called #Guam #years
