Oh, Guam

Well, the semester is coming to a close and I am going home in just five days. This semester has been so amazing and I just cannot believe how fast it has gone by. Will left us on Saturday morning. It was really hard on all of us to see him go. We truly did create our own little family of exchange students here. Will was a really important part of our clan. Now, we are all focusing on finals and getting through our exams. The last couple of weeks have been filled with probably a little bit too much partying and goodbye parties but they have been fun none-the-less. Jackie and Lisa are leaving on Thursday, Hazel is leaving sometime this week, we're not sure when, and I leave on Saturday. Leah, my roommate, has decided to stay an extra semester. I am soooo excited for her and super proud of her for making that decision. I wish that I could go home for Christmas break and then head back for next semester. But alas, I have priorities back home that I must get back to. Speaking of which...I am still in desperate need of a job. I hope something will turn up over break. I am suuuuuper excited to get home and see the fam. I can't wait to bake cookies with my mom! She took the first Monday after I get home off and I cannot wait to spend the day with her!! I am also super excited to see my brothers and Tove! Woot!

See you all in 5 days!!!!!!!!!

less than 4 weeks!

WHOA! Thanksgiving is in 3 days. I leave in... uhm... I'm not willing to count how many days because that's depressing... It's less than 4 weeks, I know that. Saturday night me, the dormies and Junior headed up north to Yigo to a major party called moistland. Basically 3 bands played outside of our friend Jordan's house. There were probably about 50-100 people there, which was insane! Everyone just partied outside and had a great time! There was a community chest of alcohol and everyone just hung around and had an excellent night. Then last night (Sunday) I got some homework done before this dude, Sean, came and picked me up. We went and got sushi, which was delicious! We had the spicy tuny and I think my mouth was on FIRE! Then we just went to his parent's place and watched a movie. It was really fun and he's a really great guy. Unfortunately, I still leave in less than 4 weeks so I suppose I won't be getting too attached :/ Anyway, only 3 days of class this week and working on my ginormous paper! eeeek!!

wih me luck!

Guamalicious!

Muesday night Junior came over and made supper for all of us dormies. He made us tinaktak, this delicious Chamorro soup. It's made with ground beef, veggies, and coconut milk. He is quite the chef!! Last night we ate some deluctible broccoly cheese vegetable soup! Yum!! Also, Will came back from Japan yesterday so we had a bit of a celebration to have him back!! Tonight Leah, my roommate, made yummmmmmmmmmy tortilla soup, which was soooo good! I am realizing every day how soon I leave! I have just a month left! How crazy. Guam is so amazingly beautiful! I wish that everyone could experience a place so beautiful, full of welcoming, kind, and exceptionally generous people. I am truly lucky and extremely blessed to be given this amazing opportunity! I hope that I can make everything out of this that I can and learn and grow in the ways that God intended for me. The next month is going to be quite an adventure!!! :)

November?

I can't believe November is already half way over! It's November 13th here today and it as a beautiful day! It's actually been a beautiful week! Great weather, great friends, and we had a great time! Wednesday night we went to Ralphy's to watch my friends' Nikita and Junior's band play. They are amazing!!!! Then last night Jackie and I went and saw them again at Xscape. They are seriously an amazing band. Nikita has THE most amazing voice I have ever heard! There are SO many talented singers and musicians on this island, it's unreal. They need to do an American Idol casting here. Today we went down to Inarajan where there is a natural-made pool. The waves crash over the rocks bringing new water in and the tide carries water out from the other end. It was so beautiful and the weather was perfect and didn't rain and it was a great time!! There is a diving board type thing about 20 feet up, but it's just cement so it doesn't bounce at all. So we were jumping off that all day and having a ball!! I had a ver surreal moment swimming around thinking: "Hey, everyone back home is stuck in jackets and sweaters and I'm hangin out in the Pacific Ocean with great friends in great weather! I love it! I can't believe this adventure is over in jut 5 weeks! Yikes!! I am anxious to get home, though. Just enjoying what I've got right now here in Guam. Home will be here soon enough.

Much love to everyone everywhere! :)

Yum nom nom nom

This morning I woke up and made myself a delicious breakfast burrito with brown rice, eggs, cheese and ham. Yummy! I spent most of yesterday working on my second draft of my 40 page research paper. I cannot wait to hand that full thing in and be done with it! I don't want to leave Guam and I'm not ready to start the process of getting ready to go, but I am super excited to get this semester's classes over with! Yuk! But I have to get to class!

Ciao!

Only 6 weeks left!

Whoa! I will be home-bound in just 42 days! wtf? How did this pass by so fast?! Oh man am I loving it, though! I don't remember what the last thing I blogged about was...so... Uhm.. Halloween was a BLAST! We had so much fun! This week I ate dinugan which is a p0rk stew made with pig's blood! Yea! I didn't like mayo or onions when I got here but look at me now!
I have a 20 page paper due on Monday so this weekend is basically consumed with finishing that... :/ Last night I worked on my paper for a while and then we went down to marine lab where there was a gathering going on. They made delicious lobster and were just giving it away! Yummy! Everyone there was super chill. This is why I love Guam: the security showed up b/c we were drinking so we offered him a couple beers and lobster and he was on his way :) hahaha... There is a beach bbq going on tonight that I super want to go to but I don't think I'm going to let myself go unless I finish my paper so I better get on that!

Happy Saturday!!! See you in 6 short weeks! :D

Halloweenie

Halloween weekend was so much fun! Friday night there was a huge party at Planet Hollywood that I had been looking forward to for the past few weeks but I was still pretty sick so I decided just to stay in... We actually had a great time hanging at the dorms with just a bunch of random people and it was super fun! Saturday was a pretty lazy day just lounging around. We went spearfishing for a while but with no luck. Then we went out to Fab and then headed over to Ralphy's. We danced and had a great time at both places! I just so happened to meet a pretty cool dude at Ralphy's and we danced all night :) Sunday we went over to our twin friends' house Cathy and Tina who are Vietnamese. Their mom made us some delicious pho (a common Vietnamese soup). It was muy delicioso! Then last night I went on a date with said dude from Ralphy's! It was so much fun! He came and picked me up, we went to a movie, got ice cream, then we met up with my roommates at bar Casa to hear our friends' bands play. It was such a fun and great weekend!

Happy November!

owwww!

So I have been battling a cold for the last week or so and it's no bueno. Thennnn today I accidentally popped my ear drum! Dang it! I went to the doctor and she said there is a whole in it so she gave me some pain meds and I'm on my way! 90 bucks later that is.

Oh well.. Halloween parties are crazy this weekend and it should be a good time! I am going as catwoman to the Planet Hollywood party tomorrow night and as a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle to a party Sunday night. It should be a good time all around. I have just one class tomorrow so I am definitely looking forward to that!

TGIF everyone!

long time, no blog!

So I just realized I haven't blogged in a while... Let's see... Nothing too terribly new or exciting to write about, I guess... The second installment of my 40 page paper is due in two weeks ont the same day I need to give a presentation in my other sociology class about my findings in the research study I am doing. Neither of which are even close to being ready. Every time I even begin to get excited about how close I am to going home, I realize I still have a 40 page reseach paper to finish along with two other research papers and then I just get super overwhelmed... One step at a time, I suppose. I will begin my surveying research tomorrow afternoon for both of my sociology classes and hopefully all goes well. This weekend is Halloween which is going to be so fun! I was going to go as a mermaid but decided I would just end up looking like a white chick dressed up as a stereotypical islander and really didn't want the islanders here to hate me so I decided to go as cat woman! I can't wait! So I'm going to return the things I got for my mermaid costume and I conveniently already have everything I will need to be cat woman. Saved some money! We are going to Planet Hollywood for Halloween because a group on campus is puttin on a wicked party there... It should be pretty legit. My thoughts and prayers are with Tove and Adam this week as they prepare to move across the state to Pierre. I haven't talked to Tove in a while but I imagine she is probably freaking out. I am soooo proud of her! She is by far the greatest big sis in the world, and no, I am not sucking up because I know for a fact she doesn't read my blog :)) But really, I look up to her so much and I don't think she realizes how amazing she is and important she is in my life. My life would suck with out her :) I can just barely see the sunsetting over campus right now out of the window of the study room I am in. It's beautiful! Orange and yellow. Guam is so beautiful! I can't believe I've only got a month a half left in this wonderland! As anxious as I am to get home I know I will miss it here like CRAZY! I am also starting to get nervous about my transition back home. I know that sounds dumb but I am very nervous. People at school that haven't seen me since May have gotten used to me not being around for 7 months and I'm afraid how I will have to re-socialize myself back in... I just don't want to be annoying or a nuisance to anyone. But I am very very excited for a whole list of things when Iget there!!: a car, cell phone, FOOD, mom and dad, bros and sister, my bed, my shower, cereal, milk, mashed potatoes, mom's cooking, friends, my new house in Brookings, not having rats living in my ceiling, not sweating allll the time, and of course CHRISTMAS!!! There is lots more but that's all I can think of right now. I discovered this delicious new concoction of food that is super easy for my lunches and dinners. I make pasta noodles, steam some frozen veggies with garlic in it, load it all with pepper, and then mix it all together with marinara and alfredo sauce mixed. YUMMMM!! Delicious! Well, I better get going on some of those research papers.

Peace & Blessin's

Geography Field Trip

Soo this week has been really fun! Thursday Leah and I went to the beach with our friend Boe for a BBQ. It was pretty rainy but we still had fun! Then last night we ust stayed in and watched a movie. Today we woke up early and our professor picked us up at 7:30 am for our geography field trip. We went all around the island looking at different geological areas and discussing them. We even got to go into some pretty wicked caves! It was so much fun learning about so many different things on the island! Check out my facebook to see pictures of it.

Tonight, we are either going to stay in and watch Indiana Jones or we are going out. I can't decide if I want to go out yet. I am exhausted so maybe I should just stay in...Ah! I can't decide!!!

Well anyway, I need to put supper away. Goodnight all and happy weekend!

Geography

zzzZZZzzz...

So yesterday, Matt, Garrett, Will, Leah and myself went down to Ypao to check out the Micronesian Fair and get Will all registered and everything for his race this morning. Then last night I went out with a friend from the dorm (Joefis) and his cousin and her friends. What a riot! hit cousin, Kita, is such a sweetheart and I had so much fun with her! It was especially nice to go out with a different group of people just to get away for a while. I'm finding that being with my roommates and other exchange students 24/7 is making it hard to not get on each other's every last nerve. So that was a fun get away! We got home around 2:45 this morning which gave me just enough time to change, brush my teeth, and get on our way to take Will down to Ypao for his race. We left the dorms at 3:50 so I didn't get a wink of sleep last night (I know, totally my own fault). We cheered Will on has he took off for his race. There were tons of runners! He was competing in the half marathon. We then headed down to the beach, took a little snooze and watched the sunrise until it was about time for Will to be coming through the finish line. We cheered on every single runner until Will finally got there and then we hung out banner that we made for him out of cut apart and taped together grocery bags. It was so fun to see all of the runners working so hard and comleting such a monumental thing! Yay Them! Then we go home, I showered up, and Myg came and picked me up for church. I feel terrible because I had to concentrate so hard on staying awake I really didn't catch what was happening in mass. Then I took a solid 5 bour nap which might not be such a good idea when tonight rolls around and I can't get any sleep but ya win some ya lose some :).

And now... It's homework time! I can't believe how fast the weeks go here and how much faster the weeks fly by!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Federated States of Micronesia

Today, instead of hiking to Sigua Falls because we couldn't find a ride, we went with Garret and Matt and Will to Ypao for the Micronesia Festival. There were tents with people, souveniers, jewelry from all of the islands of the Federated States of Micronesia: Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae and also the Mariana Islands: Guam, Saipan, Tinian, and Rota. It was way fun! I spent maybe 10 bucks and got almost all of my Christmas shopping done..It was really fun and we learned even more about their cultures. What a great day! There were also dancers there doing traditional dance and such. It was so much fun and it was such a beautiful day!

Biba Guam!

Friday!

So Friday is finally here and I don't have much to blog about! Pretty uneventful week... I had a couple of intense tests and I am so glad they are out of the way! Party time! :) Mom and dad mailed me the card game Munchkin so I'll probably play that tonight..maybe go out, we'll see. I've been on a crazy country music spree this week, which is weird...but it reminds me of home! This evening I am going paddling (also know as outrigging here, basically intense competitive canoeing) with a couple of friends from the dorms. Should be fun! Hopefully I'm in good enough shape! Speaking of being in good shape, I have been working super hard and as of this week, I fit into three more pairs of shorts that didn't fit when I got here! Sweet!!! This weekend will probably be pretty uneventful as well. My friend Matt and I are going to do some arts and crafts tomorrow night to make signs for Will because he's funning a half marathon on Sunday morning.

Guam is awesome!

nerves...

My nerves are already setting in about that post I just put up. More than anything else, I am afraid that my siblings are not going to like me as much anymore... All of my siblings are the people that I look up to the most in life. I look to them for advice, friendship, and everything in between. They are the only people in the world, along with my parents, that I consider my best friends.... I hope this doesn't change anything!

I love God!

I love God. That's really hard to say. It makes people feel awkward and uncomfortable and not really know how to act. I even feel that way saying it (or even just typing it). I've experienced a lot in the last two months here in Guam, but the one thing I have been doing the most searching for is God. I've gone to several different denominational Bible studies and churches, and I've prayed a lot; and I've cried even more. But through all of the turmoil I seem to have put myself in over the past couple months, with trying to figure out this whole "faith" thing, I've come to the conclusion that God is simply amazing. He gave me my life, not to live vicariously for myself, but to live for Him, and to show His glory through my life. I've also decided that, as of now, I truly am a Catholic. I feel so at home in the Catholic church. I also believe, however, that knowledge is the greatest and strongest thing we can acquire, and I want to expand my knowledge about Catholicism and also other religions so that I can make an educated decision on where my faith belongs, and what church I will call home. I find calling a church home hard, too. I don't think God let Jesus die on the cross for our sins so that we as humans could create an institution. Jesus wants to have a relationship with us, not some political corporation. But on the flip side of that, I still find church very important; because, for me, it gives me a place to share in the works of the Lord with other people. I know I still have a long way to go and a lot to learn and probably even more things that are going to frustrate me, but that's why God has put so many amazing people in my life to help me along the way. And I hope I can help some people, too.

I know what people think when someone talks about God: "Bible thumper." They're gonna be all up in my face about God and about how their religion is best. I highly dislike those people. It are the subtle people in life that praise God but don't boast about it that make me want to be a daughter of God. People like my mom, dad, and especially, my friend Meghan O'Connor. They have all shown me how amazing God can be and how to let Him into my life without needing to stop being Maggie.

I'm afraid this enthusiasm for God is going to fade with time, and with my move back home. But I have faith that God will keep me on fire for Him so I can shine His light!

Whoa. I'm even freaked out by everything I just wrote. This is a huge leap of faith for me.

To each their own. To me: God.

I'm a big girl now, wow!

Tonight we went to Benni, a Japanese restaurant in Tumon. I tried wasabi, fresh avacado, seaweed, raw fish, sushi, and fish eggs. Who am I?! I tried all those things in one night when I thought I would never try them in my lifetime! Woo Hoo!! Now I am going to get ready to go out with some friends! :D

Happy Friday, everyone!

FRIDAY!

Last night I went to a Bible study on campus with a couple of the other dormies. Then after that I called ma and pa to talk about some of that Bible stuff cuz it gets me all kinds of confused. Then I talked to my friend Will about those things too. I got some great insight about everything. Then I went out with Jackie, Leah, Cabrini, Gem, Myg, Phil, and Keith to Livehous to see Ken's band Old Man Rebel play. After a bit there we went over to Ralphy's to watch the drag show...Which was hilarious! Then we headed back to Livehouse to end the night. Overall, it was a super fun day/night! Today I am headed to the library to get some homework done.. :( Not fun..but I gotta get it done!

So I'm gonna go get ready and head to the library.

God Bless!

It's Thursday?!

Whoa! How is it Thursday already?! Well the week hasn't been too eventful. Tuesday I just had classes and got homework done. Yesterday was about the same. I walked to the video store last night with Jackie and Leah and returned the movies we rented. I might go rent another one for this evening/tonight. Today I had class then I finally got to Skype into my meeting that I miss every week back home. I am the entertainment coordinator for the State-A-Thon at SDSU and they have meetings every week to plan and prepare. Unfortunately I have to miss them for class but class was cancelled today..so I skyped in! Also, they are doing this huuuuge raffle to help raise money for the kids. They are raffling a package deal of a signed Viking football, 3 player shirts, 1 night at a Marriott hotel in Minneapolis, a cooler, and tickets to the Vikings vs. Bills game on December 5. If anyone is interested the raffle tickets are $200 but there is a 25o ticket cap so there is a good chance of winning! Plus, it's FTK (for the kids)! Let me know if you are interested for such a great cause!

This afternoon I am going to get some more work done, go work out, and then hopefully just relax. The weekend is almost upon us! :D

Have a great Thursday!

Like a Camel

Today I went to my first two morning classes. Part way through my second class at 11 am I started seeing tons of spots and couldn't see anything on my computer screen or my professor. I knew it was the onset of another migraine... No bueno. By the end of class I was in agony from a terrible headache and I kinda wanted to puke... So I scurried back to my dorm, popped some ibuprofen and got about a half hour nap in... When I woke up I was still pretty miserable but feeling better. I ended up missing my 2 pm class but I don't regret it at all because this morning was rough and horrible! As the day went on I still had a pretty continuous headache but was definitely feeling better so I got some studying done. This evening I walked to the store about half a mile from campus to fill my 4 gallons of water. Then I went back to the dorms, dropped them off and headed for the super market about a mile and a half from campus. When I left the sun was almost all the way gone and getting darker by the minute so I tried to hurry. By the time I left Payless it was pretty much pitch dark and I was a little sketched out to be walking by myself but I made it back safe and sound! Will started made a delicious meal of chicken breasts, marinara and alfredo sauce, veggies and noodles. It is going to be so delicious!! I am not just sitting around waiting for it to be done so we can eat! I'm so hungry!!! I should be studying but I can't seem to concentrate while I'm waiting for my food. Right now Will is sitting next to me watching a ridiculous cartoon and chortling like a school boy. It's reallllllly funny to watch...

Happy birthday to Mom, Happy birthday to Mom... Happy birthday dear Mommy... Happy birthday to Mom!!!

:)

2 years!

Today is my 2 year mark from my surgery! Yay!! What a happy day! The doctors told me that if my tumor/cancer was going to come back it would come back in the first two years... Basically clear sailing from here! We went to the beach this afternoon and had SO much fun! It was a blast. Laid on the beach, played football, snorkeled. It was awesome!! I am about to go out for celebratory 2 years cancer free walk and also for mommy because she has been cancer free for 5 years! I am so proud of her! Aaaaaand it's her birthday on Monday! So I'm going to go walk 5k for cancer awareness! They are also doing the annual SDSU Breast-Cancer awareness run today (October 2) so I thought it would be a triple wammy to go walk/run my 5k from Guam!

Hope everyone's weekend is fantastic!

Friday!!

Friday was so amazing! I went to class, got a little studying done, worked out, and then went to a movie with Myg and Phil. Phil works at the theater so he got us free tickets to go see "Devil". I thought it was a pretty good flick. Kinda scary/creepy. Highlight of my evening was driving!! Myg had had a bit to drink before we went so I offered to drive and it felt sooooo good to be able to drive again!! Then I had to drive Ryan's car this evening as well after we went to a couple clubs because he was pretty gone. It's now 3:45 am and I am going to bed...

Goodnight/morning/afternoon!

Happy Happy Friday!

Hello all! Last night we went to Livehouse once again to watch my friend Ken's band. That was, as always, a ton of fun! Our friends Boe, Cabrini, Keith and Junior were there. What a group! Today I have one class then I'm done for the day by noon! Yay!! I think I'm going to try and work out then I have to crack down on some homework... I have a mid-term on Tuesday and I think it's going to be rough! I don't like these upper-level courses one bit!! I woke up feeling a bit homesick today.. and I'm not quite sure why... Probs just PMS-ing...Yikes! So I called ma and fat and dad said he was offered to become partner of Edward Jones! Way to go Padre!!!! I'm so awfully proud of my parents and everything they have done in their careers but also their lives in general. 30+ years of marriage, 4 great kids (or so I think :)), awesome families on both sides, and real, tangible happiness. I love my family! :D I'm so unbelievably blessed!

Just 11 weeks left! HOLY COW!!

Peace, Love & more Love

Thursday...! :)

Let's see... I dont' even remember when my last post was or what it was about so I'll just go from yesterday (Wednesday)... Nothing too exciting that I can remember... Kind of a depressing day, actually... But I went for a run and then found the gym on campus which was awesome! After I got done working out I felt SO much better about life and myself and the world. It was stellar. This morning I woke up, got ready and just finished up my test in Psych 101. I love that class. It's super interesting which is so refreshing! It's one of my 2 lower level classes, the rest of my classes are 300 and 400 level which equals not very much fun, haha. After my classes this morning I have a meeting over Skype back at my school then Hazel and I are going to the gym. Then tonight is Livehouse to watch Ken play in Old Man Rebel! A few of our friends are going to meet us there and it should just be a ball!!

Make good choices!

Monday, Monday, Monday!

Today I had class. I got my first draft of my paper back and I actually did much better on it than I had expected! :) I have a Psych test this week and two pretty major mid terms next week. It's mid-term already!!! What the heck?! I just finished up some homework so I think I am going to make the trek to the store to get some water. I'm all out, and can't find a ride! :/ I have 4 gallons to fill up..luckily it's not tooooo far. I feel like a donkey though with all that water in my back pack and such hahahahh!

Well, I best be off. I have water to fetch and supper to make!

Happy Monday, everyone! :)

one more week down..

Today I did some laundry (successfully!!!! :)), got some homework done (probably should have done some more), talked to senorito Tyler, and got a walk in down to the marine lab, which was super awesome. The wind was starting to pick up on my way down but once I got to the hill that steeply descends towards the coast the vast amount of vegetation blocked the breeze and it was back to muggy, which is alright. I got down to the shore and the waves were stupendous! They were really tall and coming in unusually close to shore. When I first got down there it sounded like a highway outside of a campground but it was just the mongo waves splashing against each other. It was pretty amazing.

Talking to Tyler is always nice. It's weird, we talk more now that I'm gone than we ever did while I was at home. I would love to go visit him over spring break in Idaho.

Well, another week begins tomorrow so I better get something ready for it.

Peace & Love!

:D))))

I had my first ever successful Guam laundry experience!! I used just the right amount of quarters, picked the right machines, and my clothes are clean..and DRY!! I am so stoked! Now I am just working on some homework. If I get everything done that I need to I'm going to reward myself with a walk down the Marine Lab and maybe a chick flick. :) I am just like a dog... I ger distracted easily, excited even easier, and have to reward myself to get anything done. Ah well, man's best friend, right?

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Only 11 weeks left! Yikes!

Free t-shirt?!

This morning (Saturday) we woke up at 6:30 am (puke) and got ready to go help with the coastal clean up. One of Will's friends came and picked us up and we headed to Ypao beach in Tumon Bay. We helped clean up for about an hour and half. It was kinda fun, but SUPER hot, even at 7 am! Then at the end, we were supposed to get a t-shirt for helping but they ran out! That was my only motivation for waking up so early on a Saturday morning!

Anyway, I'm going back to bed. I'm kinda in a weird funk of a mood. I miss my friends back hom! I just don't have the same connections with people here.. :/

Love you all and miss everyone like crazy!

<3

FRIDAY!

Thank goodness it's Friday! Yeehaw! Last night Jackie, Will and I decided not to go to Livehouse. I was beginning to feel sick and Jackie is still feeling pretty sick. :( Will, Lisa and I went to our friends Matt and Garrett's room and played some Monopoly Deal (a quick action Monopoly card game). That was pretty fun. Jackie went to bed early. Then Lisa and I went for a run. After showering up she helped me re-arrange my bed into a fort! I just put the bed rack higher up and put my mattress under it on the floor. Then Matt gave me a sheet to put over the top of it to make it a fort! :) Lisa and I were in our new fort reading when all of a sudden Matt and Will came BURSTING into my room with "swords" and aluminum foil, Spartan style "helmets" on their head. They tore apart my room and fort. It was SO funny. I couldn't do anything but just lay there and laugh. Then Matt lost his "slipper" (aka flip flop) and so Lisa grabbed it and threw it out the window. hahahah. Garrett asked what we were ready and we told him the Bible so then Matt said that they were acting as the Israelites and were acting out a Bible story for us. Oh man, they are so great and funny!

This morning I just had one class. Then Jackie and I went to the library and hung out for a few hours before coming back to the dorms, eating, and taking a series of afternoon catnaps. :)))

As for tonight I'm not quite sure. We'll probably end up hanging here which I am totally okay with. I think I've gone out enough in the last month and a half to last me a few months :)

Have a great Friday everyone!

Glee!

Today was just a giant Glee marathon! Jackie and I watched it all day between classes and after :) Then tonight, the Glee season premier was on! So good/funny!!! Half the dorm was in the tv lounge watching :))) Then I went for a quick mile long run and showered up, now I'm heading to bed shortly. I have to wake up at 6 am so that I am able to call businesses back home for donations for my fundraiser for Children's Miracle Network. I hate the time change, I either have to stay up late to call or wake up at the crack of dawn (literally). Ah well, it's all for a great cause and I am so thankful to be part of such an amazing group back at SDSU.

Big gulps eh? Welp! See ya later!

P.S. talked to cousin Mitch on Facebook today..it was so great to hear from him!

Family Supper!

Last night we had another family supper. It was delicious! We had tuna casserole and pineapple on the side. Our family meals just consists of most of us exchange students making supper together and eating together. These meals are one of my favorite things about being here because we all just hang out and enjoy eachother's company. So fun!! I only have 2 classes today, which is nice! Then a few of us are having a Glee marathon because the new season starts tonight! Tomorrow I am going to the library to work on stuff and then going to an extra credit movie thing for psych.

Happy Hump Day!

Tik Tok

Last night we went to supper with Keith, Cathy, Tommy and Ken at Caliente. It was super delicious again! Yummy!! Then we came back to the science building and played some card games. We ended up going back to the dorms and working on some homework. I all of a sudden started losing some vision and had a crazy terrible head ache and thought I was going to puke. Not fun. So I went to bed and got some sleep. I woke up feeling mucho better this morning! Went to class and am now done for the day! :) I think I am going to work on some more stuff, and relaxxxxxxxxx :)))

I hope everyone is having an excellent night/weekend!

Much love :))

A New Week

Last night I wasn't able to make it to church because I couldn't find a ride :( However, I did go to a Bible study with my roommates and our friend Rob took us. It was an interesting experience and I would like to keep going.
I just counted the weeks that I have left here...and I'm down to 12! Yikes! That's less than 3 months! I can't believe how fast this is going... I am a little homesick today but I know I will enjoy the next 3 months and I know I will miss Guam like crazy when I get home. Sooooo, I better enjoy it! :D

Talofofo Fiesta!

Today the twins (Cathy and Tina) took us to Cabrini's grandma's house for their family's fiesta. Today is the day for San Maguel (Saint Maguel) who is the patron saint of Talofofo village so it was just a giant fiesta there today.. Everyone in Guam is invited to these fiestas and it was super fun! We ate delicious Chamorro food, played games, and just had a great time! Unfortunately it was SUPER hot out today and really uncomfortable but otherwise a great time. Tonight I really need to get some homework done :/ I really wanted to go to church at 6 but I couldn't find a ride...oh the downfalls of always relying on other people. Yikes, I wish I had a car!! Ahh well, time to get crackin' on some homework.

Love!

Saturday

Yesterday was a pretty lame day. I spent most of the day trying to recover from turning 21... :/ Last night we ended up not making it to the beach because the weather was pretty iffy. Instead, we went to this outdoor concert thing at a plaza that was pretty cool. When we got there there was a band playing that was so-so, then an intense scream-o band started playing and I hated it! I felt like my soul was going to get taken by the devil, ahh, it was scary. But then this really awesome ska band (they use trumpets and saxophone) started playing and that was a ball. We were skanking to them (skanking is the kind of dancing you do to ska, basically you just jump around and flail your limbs in a ridiculous manner) and we had a great time! That band was really fun to watch. The flat i was wearing got soaked so I decided to take them off but then I was skanking and jumping around and I landed on a really sharp rock. I looked at my foot and it was GUSHING blood! Yikes! we got it wiped off and the cut wasn't nearly as bad as the blood made it out to be. That was a really fun night! Today we are going to a fiesta in Talofofo which should be fun. I really hope to make it to church tonight..I've been getting kinda homesick and I feel like if I can get closer to God again I might feel more at home. Anywho, I better go shower!

Make good choices! :))

Twenty One!!!

Sooo, the last couple days have been CRAZY! Thursday night we all went to Livehouse to watch Ken's band, Old Man Rebel, play. That was a BLAST! I turned 21 at midnight there so we had a pretty good time :) Ken was giving me tons of shout outs and we just had a good time! Friday was pretty chill. Talked to mom and dad on Skype, went running, nothing too exciting. Then Jackie and I went shopping which was fun. Came back to the BEST birthday meal ever! Everyone worked really hard to put together a delicious burrito bar (my new favorite food). It was super yummy!! Then they made me the BEST Spiderman FunFetti birthday cake ever! It was so awesome! Then Cabrini and Gem and Leah and I got ready to go out. Leah Hazel Keith and I all started out at Livehouse then quickly went over to a new bar called Porky's. We met up with our friend Boe which was fun, and met a few other really cool (and cute!) people :) We then headed over to Fab and continued on home after that! :))) Today we are going to the beach with all our friends to watch the sunset and hang there for the night!

<3

Happy Hump Day!

Today, I am determined to make better than yesterday! I have 3 dreadful classes but I swear I'll pay attention! But after class today, I only have 2 tomorrow morning and then it's time for birthday party at Livehouse!!! :)))) Can't wait! Maybe I'll go down to the marine lab today and go snorkeling... Or maybe after class I'll go down to the science building and hang out with the twins and Cabrini :) Either way today wil be awesome!


Now..just to finish some last minute homework before class....

grrrrrrrrrrr

I am beyond upset right now. every single time i try to do laundry something goes wrong. i have never gotten dry clothes out of the dryer and why would tonight be any different? i washed my clothes (or so i thought) in the washer that i thought worked, after checking the washer that i know worked just to find out it was full of beef jerky (?). So then i put my sopping wet clothes through the dryer THREE (3) times! just to pull them out still really really wet...well apparently the washer i put them through wasn't working..they just sat in their own nasty water for twenty minutes..and of course i didn't know this until i put my other load into the same washer...so there is a waste of $5.00. ugh...it's been such a long, cranky day, i just need to have a good cry and hit the hay...

hakuna matata, right?

Conquering Mt. Lam Lam

After class Ken took Leah, Hazel and myself to Shirley's for lunch. That was so fun! I think we found our new Monday traditions. Ken is such a cool dude! He is the lead singer for the band Old Man Rebel that we go to see every Thursday.

After lunch our friend Rob took me, Leah and Hazel to hike Mt. Lam Lam and watch the sunset. We got there around 6 probably. The sun was already beginning to set so we ran the usual 45 minute climb. I would say we probably finished in about 20 minutes max. Mt. Lam Lam is the tallest point on Guam. It was soooo amazing. I wish that the pictures I took even began to capture how majestic, beautiful and breath taking it was. But just to try, I'll add a few.

What an amazing day!!!! :D

Saturday night/ Sunday

Last night Will, Leah, Hazel, myself and our friend Chris went out with our friend Keith. We started out at a beach near Tumon. It was very deserted and very relaxing. We watched the waves roll into the harbor and drank a few brewskies. Then we left there because it started pouring rain. We then hung out in the car for a while before heading to another deserted beach area. All of this was going on around 10 pm. We started swimming at the second beach and just had a great time. Wish I could post some of the hilarious stories on here :). This morning we went to brunch at the Marriott that our NSE coordinator set up for us. It was SO amazing!! They had sushi, pasta, waffles, french toast, omelettes, bacon, salad, a chocolate fountain, fruit, ice cream, and an amazing view of the bay. It was so fun!!! Then we headed back to the dorm, loaded up our beach gear and headed out. It was Cabrini's brother's birthday today so we were invited to go to their beach, which is the most Southern point of Guam, and had MORE food. They had lots of original Chamorro food: chicken, rice and lots of other stuff! Yummy! We snorkeled there for a bit and hung out. It was a blast! What a great weekend!!!!!

But next weekend.... is my 21st!!!!!!!!! :D)))))


P.S. happy birthday to Jesse! :)

peace and love.

cockroaches!!!!!!!!!! ewwwwwwwwwwww

Tonight we made a pot of rice with veggies and took it to the science building to participate in the Bio Club welcome back party. There was chicken, rice, donuts, desserts, mashed potatoes, gravy, and more! Yum!! There were lots of new people there to meet! We went with the twins, Cathy and Tina, and Cabrini also. We met new people, ate lots of food, played games, and had a great time! Only downer of the night: seeing like 8 cockroaches. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! yuck!!!!! I guess that will be yet one more fear to conquer this year. I feel like I've already conquered so many!

The twins Cathy and Tina are picking us up at 7 am to go to the flea market to get some fresh fruit! Yum! Then I am going to FINISH my paper (finger's crossed), take an online test, and then...if I finish all of that I'm going to go out dancing with Cabrini tomorrow night! :))

TGIF!

Weeekend!!!

Thank goodness it is finally the weekend!!!!! Last night was a blast at Livehouse watching Old Man Rebel. They are really fun to watch and listen to and just all around a great time! When we were getting ready to go though, I was changing in the bathroom because there were lots of people in my room. As I was changing I cockroach ran across the bathroom floor!!! I can handle snakes, slugs, and all kinds of other bugs but cockroaches just do me in. Yuck. So I ran from the bathroom as Tina tried to kill it. Apparently when I ran out, it started chasing me! EEEEEEEEEE! Sick!! Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew Ew!! Sooooooo anyway, Tina killed it off for me (thank goodness!!). But after that we had a great night! We even went and got Italian ice cream but I don't remember what it's called. Yummy!!

Tonight I think we are going with Tina, Cabrini and Cathy to the bio club movie night thing on campus, should be fun!

Happy Friday, everyone!!

Bow-Chicka-Wah-Wah

So today is Thursday. Already! Yikes! I'm just sitting in my Geography of the Pacific class. We are currently learning about pressure and winds of the world...hooooowwwww interesting..you can't even see it! I hate learning about invisible sciences. Tonight we are going to hang out with the twins Cathy and Tina and also Cabrini and going to Livehouse to see the band. Should be a fun night! This weekend I have got to crack down on my 10 page paper that's due on Wednesday..I only have a page written! ... Ah well. By the way, I feel like I have already learned so much about myself and who I want to be in life. This trip is so amazing and I love it! Rough days are totally worth it because of all of the other fun days!

Wednesday?!

When did it get to be Wednesday?!! I've been here almost a month already and my birthday is next week!! Oh goodness! :) We are going to Livehouse again tomorrow night to watch the band that our friend is in. Should be a blast. This afternoon I am going to lock myself in the library and get some stuff done on my paper that's due next week :/

Hakuna Matata

4 day weekend!

This weekend was so relaxing..maybe a little too relaxing... Friday night we just hung around the dorms. We spent Saturday at the beach in Tumon relaxing with a ton of friends. We had KFC chicken and red rice and enjoyed the beautiful weather. Saturday night we went downtown to a couple different bars and just had a blast! Sunday was extremely lazy and ended with watching the movie Black Dynomite and playing cards. Today, Labor Day was even more lazy filled with reading, watching movies and going shopping :) Overall, a great weekend. I did manage to fit in a little homework here and there as well. Nothing too exciting planned for this week besides school. Hopefully a little nonsense will come up so I have something exciting to post about!

Goodnight!

Thursday Night

Last night (Thursday) A bunch of us went down to a bar in Tumon called Livehouse. A couple of our friends from the island had a friend in the band playing so we went to see them. We had such a blast!! Everyone there was so chill and just having a great time. The band was fantastic too! They played an elvis/rock mix. It was awesome! What a wonderful way to spend our Thursday night. Now I just have to stay awake for my one and only class at 10 am. Why am I awake right now?!

Tomorrow we are going to a beach somewhere. Apparently there's going to be a ton of people there so I'm pretty stoked. As for tonight, I'm not sure yet. Our friend Aiyla is only on island for the weekend before she heads back to Tinian so we might have to party with her tonight or Saturday night.

Peace!

ahhh!!

Will, Leah and myself went snorkeling this afternoon around 4 ish. We got down to the marine lab on campus where we have been a few times and there is beautiful coral there. The waves were coming in huge and much closer to shore than we had seen before. But we still decided it was a good idea to go out! We got out pretty far. Finally as we were coming in we couldn't quite get into the wave and we were basically stuck out there. I could see anything underwater from all of the waves and I was swimming my hardest and not going anywhere! Finally a wave washed me in close enough to touch. But then Leah was completely stuck out there and Will had to go out and save her! Yikes! It was pretty scary! But we are all safe and sound :)

Guamalicious

It is 9:40 am here and I will be done with class for the day at 11 am. I have the afternoon free for naptime, homework, and then Leah and I will be going snorkeling down at the on-campus marine-lab around 2. I am so excited for this weekend! We don't have class on Monday so three-day weekend! I don't think we have any big plans except maybe hitting a new beach and snorkeling some new coral!

earthquake numero dos

so apparently this morning while I was in the shower there was another earthquake!! I'm so disappointed I didn't feel it! I think I saw online that it was a 5.0 magnitude but everyone said it shook their beds and doors so I feel like 5.0 might not be right... any way, it's been a very rainy morning so I'm wearing jeans to class today which feels kinda good because I'm always wearing skirts and shorts. I forgot how much I love a nice pair of jeans! :)

Almost September!

It is August 31 here already which means it's almost September which means it's almost my favorite month of the whole entire year! Not just because it's my birthday month, but also because it is SO beautiful back home! It means pumpkin, apple crisp and leaf changing season along with harvest time and homecomings! But this year it will be even more memorable here in Guam! Also, the big 2-1 is coming up in a few weeks! :D)))
I am almost done filling out my Americorps application. If I get accepted I will be volunteering 20 hours a week starting in October and then will receive 2-3 checks for over $400 dollars for every month I am active with the Americorps here in Guam as a "living stipend." I really hope that I can participate in this. The Americorps is such an amazing organization and it just so happens to be one of the organizations that I am hoping to get involved with after college so this could really boost my resume in the non-profit sector.

So wish me luck!!!

Peace & Blessin's :D

Sunday night

Yesterday was an extremely lazy day for me. I got some laundry done, studied a bit and then just layed around, mostly. I was in a weird sorta mood, though. Not homesick, just not happy either. So around 8 pm I decided to head out for a run. It was dark and just starting to sprinkle. It was one of the best runs I've had in a very long time. It started raining harder and it felt so good to be running. I had this realization while I was running of how amazing this world is and this place that I'm in and how stinkin' blessed I am to be not only in Guam but to have the family and friends that I have. God truly is amazing and He really showed hHmself to me last night. It was a great run!

Leah and I then watched a movie and hit the hay. I have 3 classes today and probably more studying since I slacked on that yesterday.

Catch ya on the flip side, brah!

going out!

Tonight my roomates Leah, Jackie and myself along with our Guamanian friend Cabrini went out to Club Fab. It was a great time! I have never cared so little about what people think of me while I'm dancing! None of these people will ever see me again after December so it's fun to go out and just have a blast! We had a ton of fun and now I'm gearing up for homework tomorrow...it's 4:15 am here and I'm headed to bed!

Goodnight!

Guam partying

Last night Jackie, Leah, Hazel, myself, and Cabrini went out toa couple different clubs. The first was Lush which was a very crazy place! All of the girls were wearing spandex teeny tiny dresses and dancing very.....exotically. But I had fun there. We were dancing for all of 3 minutes when a couple guys started dancing with us, which was fun. Then we went to a gay club called Fab which was a blast!! It was so much fun there! Everyone was just having fun and it was a ball! Then we came back to the dorms around 2:00 and I hung out with Floyd for a little bit before heading to bed. Fun night all in all. Today we are going to the beach with Cabrini, Tina, Kathy and the other dormies. Then tonight is the dorm all welcome back bash and the probably going out again.

Love!

8/27/10

Friday is finally here!! I have one class today then I am going to get my student ID printed off and to pay some bills. Then this afternoon is going to be nap time because tonight a bunch of us (NSA students and islanders) are going out! It should be a blast! I can't wait :)) anyway, i'll let you know how all of it goes,

Later Gator!

blazin' saddles!

Yesterday was not a very good day. I had more problems with financial aid. The communication here is just very very frustrating! I was very set on coming home, but I got everything taken care of and today is going MUCH better! I DO love it here, I just get a couple days here and there peppered with a little homesickness. This evening a few of us are going to go snorkeling with our new friend here. Also, we made friends with Tina, Kathy and Cabrini. They are so great! We are going snorkeling with Dave though, he's great too. Classes are going well, very interesting, keeping me busy for sure. I got my first delivery of snail mail today and it was SO exciting!! Keep those letters coming!!!!
My address here is:
Maggie Aldrich
c/o National Student Exchange
University of Guam
UoG Station
Mangilao, GU 96923

I LOOOOOVE getting mail! :)))

Thanks everyone for the thoughts and support, it really helps me get through those rough days :)

God Bless!

EARTHQUAKE!!

As I was sitting in my minority relations class all of a sudden there was an earthquake!!! It was a 5.5 even! It only lasted a few seconds but it was so cool! I've never felt one before! How exciting!!!!

Tumon Bay

Yesterday afternoon a few of us went to Tumon Bay on the other side of the island. Tumon is a very touristy area that is a very very popular vacation destination for Japanese and other Asians. We went on a bussing adventure, not really sure where to get off. We finally made it down to the beach, hiked alllll the way down the beach and started snorkeling. We were about to give up after half an hour of swimming and not seeing the kind of coral we did down at the marine lab when all of a sudden the ugly rock and reefs opened up to neon colored fish, trenches, and brightly colored coral. It was amazing. I like the marine lab snorkeling more for its coral and trenches and a little bit deeper but Tumon Bay was much more amazing in the amount of fish we saw. I saw a small bright purple and green fish, an electric blue fish, a neon pink fish, a whole HUGE school of fish swimming in a circle that looked kinda funny with a bulge for a nose, and some beautiful blue starfish. Amazing! What a great day! It was raining the entire time we were there too so that was cool seeing the rain hit the water from underneath. Last night we kinda just sat around, watched movies/tv and hung out. We were all pretty exhausted. I am going to try to hit the library today and get some laundry done. I have to keep reminding myself that this is NOT a vacation, even though it sure seems like it! :)

Peace & Love!

snorkeling

Yesterday Will, Hazel, Lisa, Leah and myself went down to the marine lab bay and went snorkeling. As we were walking out it was just very rocky with lots of yucky moss but then about 100 yds out the rocks kinda dropped off and BEAUTIFUL coral appeared. It was more beautiful than in Finding Nemo, so you know it's good! The colors of the coral and fish and the depth of the drenches was just astounding. I have never experience something so magnificent! Then last night we all went to a Mexican place called Caliente's for supper. That was so delicious! Then we came back and hung out in the dorm and played some super smash bros. on Wii. I beat 3 guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think Brock will be proud of his little sis :) Today we are going to another beach on the Southern end of the island for some even more beautiful snorkeling! YAY! :))) The Southern part of the island is supposed to be more mountainous and hopefully the coral is even more abundant.

Hang Loose, brah!

TGIF

The first part of classes if finally almost over! I am sitting in one class right now (art history) and will be done for the weekend in 5o minutes! YAY!! This afternoon/evening a few of us are going to catch the bus and head to a Mexican place for supper followed by hopefully a bar or a club of some sort. Today will definitely be an adventure! :)))

...

I am starting to feel a bit homesick... I am making friends but I just have not quite reached the same level with them as people from back home. Which is obvious because I have only been here a week. But it's still kinda hard. I know I will make it and love it here, I'm just have a rough couple hours.

Miss everyone! :)

8/19/2010, 3:25 pm

Nothing toooo exciting today. Went to a couple classes. I still need to pick one class up and I'm having some trouble with that so hopefully I can get all that figured out tomorrow. Went and looked for a job and it looks like that's going to be pretty difficult. Homer is taking us to Kmart tonight so probably going to get some food for nachos or maybe some corn on the cob. yummm!
I'm not homesick yet but I do feel a little lonely :/ that's alright though, it's awesome here!

8/18/2010 - 9:40 pm

YAAAAAAAAAAAWN! It's only 9:40 pm here but I am exhausted!! This morning Leah, Will and I ate oatmeal together. Yummy! Then we had classes. I finished out the day with the Sociology of Sex and Gender. That class will be very interesting but I'm a little nervous about it because we have a write another research paper on top of my 40 page paper for my other sociology class. Everything will work out though!
I am loving it so much here! Everyone is so awesome and neat! I can already tell leaving is going to be hard! This afternoon I took a run down to the marine lab ocean area and sat there for a while. It is so relaxing and a great place to think there. Then I ran back up the steep hill and headed for home.

Alas, another great day in Guam and many more to come!

Love always,

Classes!

So I just got back from my first 2 classes. The first is intro to art. I think that class will be pretty interesting but also pretty boring. I guess we'll see. The next is minority relations. I found out that class is a senior level research class where we've been assigned to write a 40 page research paper about race and stereotypes between groups in Micronesia. Of course it's too late to drop the class without losing serious money. :( Oh well, it shall be a great learning experience!
My next class is Sociology of Sex and Gender which I think will be rather intriguing.

Peace!

8/18/10, 8:30 am

Yesterday Will, Jackie, Leah, Lisa and myself went to the beach East of Hagatna village. We were there for a few hours swimming, laying on the beach and just messing around. We took the public transit system there and we had a blast the whole time! Just as we were getting ready to go it started pouring rain on us! But that was an adventure too, GUAM! haha. Last night we got back and made some spaghetti for supper. Then a bunch of the islanders and us were in the tv lounge singing karaoke and having a blast! Everyone here is so amazingly nice and welcoming. As soon as someone walks in the room that you don't know it's totally okay just to ask their name and you're instantly friends! I love it here so much! Everyone offers food to you or to hang out or if you need anything they'll give it to you. This is going to be an amazing four months! :)))))

8/17/10

This morning Leah and I walked down to the marine lab ocean area. We hiked around again and brought back a ton of rocks and shells and reef stuff that was washed up. It was so beautiful and awesome!!! It was so crazy hot and humid though, which was rough. Anyway, today we are going to head to the beach and hang out. Classes start tomorrow!! if you want to see pictures from today check out my facebook, they're pretty legit! :))))


Hakuna Matata

Today!

We just got back from the grocery store. We had to walk there and back. It was about a 20 minute walk, but on the way back it took forever because we all had our groceries! yikes, what an adventure! This evening we are going to cook some pizzas, throw back a few, and hang out. School starts the day after tomorrow!! Hopefully tomorrow we'll make it on some sweeet adventures! :))))


Peace & Love!

8/16/2010 1:50 pm here, 10:50 pm home

This morning Will, Lisa, and myself (all National Student Exchange students here from the mainland) went running in the rain. We ran to the on campus marine lab. When we finally got there it was a break in all of the cliffs and vegetation that just opened up to the Pacific ocean. It was so amazing and tranquilizing. I can't believe I got to experience that. We all hiked around on the rocks out in the ocean off the coast that are underwater. It was such a cool experience. After, we had oatmeal for breakfast. Then we showered up and got all of our crazy errands done like figuring out housing, financial aid, ya know, the fun stuff. Now, it's time to relax :))

I forgot!

Oh! I forgot! We went to the beach yesterday. It was so amazingly beautiful. We were swimming 0ut and it seemed like normal beach swimming but then the farther you go out it started getting really shallow, about knee deep. As it got shallower there were a ton of these sea cucumber things. I'm not really sure what they actually were but I think their real Genus Species name is Sea Turd. They were kinda just like a muscle that wiggled and when we pulled them out of the water they peed on us! Haha, what an adventure. Also, there was a lot of reefs and fishies and stuff which was way cool. We saw one reef that looked like a brain! It was awesome!

Well, off for a morning run.

8/16/2010 - Guam

It is 6:40 am here and about 3:40 pm back home right now. I'm still not fully used to the huge time difference. I think I'm still functioning on SD time. It is morning 2 here in Guam but it feels like I've been here for a week! I am anxious for classes to start on Wednesday because it will give me something to keep me busy and look forward to. I know this semester will fly by in no time once it gets going! Everything is so beautiful here! The trees are a lush, vivacious green color and it rains at least 3 times a day. I love it when it rains because it makes everything cooler. The temperature here is about 85 degrees a day which isn't terrible but it is extremely humid! I have been hanging out with 4 of the NSE students that are also here. I think we are still waiting on a few more of them to show up though. Today, we are going to get our student ID's, figure out our financial aid, go running, make breakfast, figure out our dorm situation, and hopefully do some more exploring. When we arrived they gave us all very different living arrangements than what we had previously been informed of so we are trying to straighten all of that out. There is a marine lab on campus and there are octupi and star fish down there and you can even swim a bit if you want so we are going to go check that out at some point too. I haven't been too homesick yet which I'm pretty proud of. I know I can do this! God has a reason and plan for everything and everyone and I know there's a reason I'm here.

Peace & Love!

8/15/2010 – First night in Guam

I landed in Guam around 6 pm last night. The National Student Exchange (NSE) coordinator and her assistant picked myself and two other NSE students up from the airport. We got to campus and met with the other NSE students. There are 5 of us here now and there should be 9 or 10 total when everyone gets here. The campus consists of about 3,400 students. The 5 of us NSE students hung out last night, toured around campus, and met some of the locals. Everyone is so incredibly nice here! I didn't sleep hardly at all last night. I mostly paced up and down my room because I am definitely still on South Dakota time. So, I've been up most of the night and am now sitting in the College of Business building milking the free internet. It just all of a sudden started pouring rain; which apparently happens quite frequently throughout the day with stretches of sun between. It's nice when it rains because it instantly cools everything down and breaks the humidity at least for a while. Last night was pretty rough being homesick and all. I can already tell this is going to be a long semester, but I also know that I am going to have an amazing time just peppered with some homesickness. Last night I just kept thinking: why am I here? I can go home now. I don't have to be here. What would mom and dad think if I came home early? Why am I not just going to SDSU like a normal year? I'm missing out on so much stuff! But in reality, I know that this whole trip/experience/adventure are going to be extremely worth it, and I will regret it if I don't follow through. I have to prove to myself and everyone that I can do it!

Leaving for LA today!

Sorry I still need to get all of my journals posted from Africa...but until I get that done I guess I'll get started with this trek to Guam. Dad will be home in a few minutes to pick me up and take me to the Sioux Falls airport. From there I fly to LA and stay with my cousin Jennifer and her boyfriend for 2 nights. I then head out to Guam Friday morning. I just had lunch with mom and Tove. It was so sad saying goodbye! That is by far my least favorite part of leaving. Oh well, that's life. I'm excited to get settled in Guam.

Peace & Love!

5/10/2010, 10:19 pm (Tpalmey, Togo)

After crossing the Ghana/Togo border we finally arrived at the resort where we went to swim in the Atlantic. The resort was beautiful. Swimming in the ocean was amazing. The tides came washing in and their undertow drug us out to sea with them until we could get our footing. An African man at the beach was asking to take my picture but I got creeped out and said no. Manyy of the men here have been trying to get our name/number/email. We ate a delicious meal of beef kabobs and chicken with french fries, rice, and some sort of tomato sauce. Then we made our way to the mountains in Togo. As we were driving a main highway there were what looked like remote villages all along it. Once we werew out of the cities, much of the garbage disappeared and ghe lush green vegetation could be fully enjoyed. When we arrived at our hotel I was breathless. It is located at the base of the mountains. Kind, generous people as hosts, a cheap bar, pool, and a beautiful nature sanctuary make this hotel amazing. Once we got al settled in and had a drink (rum and coke) we headed out in the dark to explore the French-speaking village. We met some young children and stopped to say hi. When we returned to our hotel we swam for a while. There were African drummers, singers, and dancers there to entertain us. After swimming I rand and put a t-shirt on and asked the drummers and dancers to teach me how. I started dancing and singing with them when Kelly, Dani an Addie joined! Then they taught Kelly and I how to drum. They taught us four songs, pretty reggae stuff :) It was such a blast! It was so fun just to let go and enjoy the moment. They taught us some tribal songs of theirs which was way cool. That was my favorite part of the night! Bola (the dude who taught me how to dance like them) was showming me how to dance and was super fun. Then he started asking for my email and phone number so I left, showered, and wrote this entry :)

5/10/2010, 7:43 am (Accra->Lome, Togo)

We left the hostel at 6 am this morning. We are first going to Lome from Accra. We are going to swim in the ocean! On our way to Lome there are people everywhere! Along the road in the middle of nowhere, at random huts, sitting against trees. There are also goats just roaming across the roads and alongside. Our driver's name is Sami. He has a daughter named Maggie, too! In just our couple hours here so far, I can already see such a different way of life. The dirt here is very bright red. The vegetation is so lush and green. But in the city there is lots of garbage everywhere. The humidity is so astounding everytime I walk outside, but the fresh breeze coming in off the ocean is refreshing. All along the highway there are piles of watermelons waiting to be bought by a passerby to take to the city and sell.

5/10/2010, 12:54 am (Accra, Ghana, the Pink Hostel)

I'm homesick!! It's one in the morning, we have to be up at 4:30 am and I haven't hardly slept in two days. I think once I get some rest and we get going I'll be better. Tomorrow we're going to a private beach in Lome, Togo to swim in the ocean. We got out of customs and everything around 11 pm. Getting through the Accra airport was so hectic!!! It was so different and people instantly started trying to steal our bags, haha! What an adventure already. Oh, and I forgot the bag of toys that I bought for the kids! :( All of these events are just adding up to my exhaustion and homesickness. I'm hoping to be in contact with home soon. When we got to our hostel tonight we walked down the street to Yokos, a bar/restaurant that stayed open late to serve us. I tried chicken on hummor or something and some weird beeg egg roll things. My favorite was the red pepper chicken kabobs. Yum!

5/9/2010, 9:25 pm (Accra)

We are about half an hour out from landing in Accra. This was a six hour flight and not nearly as unbearable as the 9 hour one to Amsterdam. However, I'm starting to get a little emotional. I'm extremely exhausted and daunted by the fact that I will not be able to see or talk to my parents for so long! Luckily, once we land we will drive directly to our hotel where we can all just crash. We are getting going very early in the morning tomorrow around 6 am. I'm very nervous but very anxious to get started! It's FINALLY here!!!

5/9/2010, 2:19 pm (Amsterdam Airport)

We landed in Amsterdam around 1:15 pm here and 6:15 am South Dakota time. It was an 8 hour flight from Minneapolis. Our next flight to Accra has been delayed a few hours. We will arrive there around 10 pm Accra, Ghana time. I'm still not very nervous, just extremely bummed out that I can't keep in contact with mom and dad more frequently. There a really hot cop security dude carrying a really giant gun around the airport. The airport alone is so different in another country! I can't even begin to imagine what the next month holds! I know I'll be homesick for the next month but I can't wait to get off the plane in Sioux Falls and hug mom and dad!!

5/8/2010, 9:25 pm (Minneapolis->Amsterdam)

After a 2 hour delay due to more volcanic action in Greenland we are finally boarding our plane to Amsterdam!! I've never been in such a big plane! There are 2 seats, aisle, 4 seats, aisle, 2 seats. I'm in the middle four seats,; this will be a long 8 hour flight. We each have a tv screen in front of us...this is high class! What a great trip already!

And so it begins.... 5/8/2010 Sioux Falls->Amsterdam

We are currently sitting in the Sioux Falls airport waiting to depart for Minneapolis. The students heading to Amsterdam through Detroit have already departed. I don't have my phone on me so i can't text my friends or parents. A month without my phone is going to be tough, but I think very worth it. I'm surpirisingly calm about the upcoming adventure. I didn't even cry when mom and dad left me! In about forty-five minutes I'm going to embark on an adventure of a lifetime!

p.s.: I'm so glad I am travelling single. Girls are crying leaving their boyfriends, boys are on the phone with their worried girlfriends...ugh. Also, I'm reading The Rough Guide First Time Around the World and it's making me watnt to travel for a year; I want to just go on a whim and work and volunteer abroad. Peace & Blessin's