Guam is in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and is technically a US territory. It is an interesting island that primarily caters to Japanese tourism -- its about a 3.5 hour flight, so I guess its kind of like their Miami (except instead of driving the I-95 corridor, you fly the typhoon alley of the Pacific). The main hotel areas are littered with stores like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Kmart, etc so the Japanese can spend their paper. This is how the local economy thrives for the most part (that and lots and lots of booby bars).
So I didn't really escape the Japanese life during my visit, but that doesn't really matter -- there was sun, sand, clear blue seas, pina coladas, and time with the hubby. The beauty of Guam is that it is a "forced vacation". There is nothing really to do except lounge by the water -- no check list of tourist spots to visit across the island from what I can see. In that way, I almost preferred it over my Hawaii trip earlier in the summer (that hurts to say since the price difference is quite considerable). Plus a 3 hour flight is better than an 8 hour flight any day.
There was beauty in watching our Japanese friends on vacation, actually. This is going to sound super super cheesy, but I will finish my thought: This additional lesson in overseas living re-emphasizes what I am learning, which is that we all have the same hearts and morals at our core, regardless of race and culture. Watching mom and dads play with their cutie toddlers in the sand, slathering SPF 100 on their little cheeks. Watching couples walk along the beach, hand in hand. And watching families sit at the pool and drink cold crisp Asahi beers starting at 10am, also recognizing there is nothing to do but lounge. Kompai!
