Settling in.

Hafa Adai Friends!

It's been awhile since my last post. I told myself that I would post once every ten days or so but I've abandoned that goal. It makes more sense to me to post when I have some stories and adventures to relate than just trying to post every week or so. As you may have seen from the pictures I've posted on my facebook, this place is absolutely beautiful. The water is clear, the sun shines brightly (most of the time, which I'll get to later) and the air is warm and moist. The sinus problems that I've battled my entire life back in Ogden have vanished. I wake up everyday being able to breathe through my nose which is great. I've finally fully acclimated to Guam and now am able to feel cold again. When I stepped off the plane in June, I thought I would be perpetually sweating for the next 6 months. Not the case these days. It's now offically rainy season which obviously means it rains a lot. Like everyday and sometimes all day. It's raining right now as I write this blog and has been for the last 4 hours or so. Everyday for the last 2 weeks or so, I've seen rain at least once a day. It was kind of novel at first but it's getting old. When I'm sitting on a lifeguard chair at one of the pools, it's particularly miserable. When the wind is just right, the rain will come down in stinging horizontal sheets. It feels like hail from back home. For the most part though, it will only last 20 or 30 minutes at most and then the sun will come back out as if nothing happened.

I've also begun my scuba certification. Diving is something that I've always wanted to do and it's so cheap to get certified out here I just couldn't pass it up. Being down beneath the sea, breathing air out of tanks, is a trip. I've only been down 3 times thus far but all 3 times were amazing. I've seen a wrecked ship, turtles and some lionfish. I can't wait to see what else is down there.

After being here for 6 weeks, I feel like I'm starting to finally find my niche. I'm no longer the new guy because they hired a new batch of clubmates a few weeks ago. It's been a blast to meet new people and make new friends. Most people out here are out here for the same reasons that I am, to make memories and have fun which makes it really easy to get along with most. We have a ton of fun in the tower where we live. It's like living in the dorms at the university minus the crappy part of studying and going to class. We are working a lot of hours this week, like 55 a piece but if you consider work hanging out in a swimsuit next to a pool or the ocean, you probably don't belong here. I'm still waiting for the moment where I feel like I'm at work. It still feels like a paid vacation.

I hope this finds everyone well and happy. Thanks again to those who take the time to read these, I love and miss you all!