Life on the Run in Paradise

How am I so lucky to be on the run around the world? My husband and I have a lot of free Air Miles to use while we can still walk, talk, and remember where we are! So we each have a backpack and are on a five-month trip overseas. We began in Las Vegas and will travel far and wide in our big, wonderful world. Our first stop was a place I have always wanted to visit and our only stop in the U.S.A. We began in Hawaii and met up with my sister Anne and her Hawaiian husband Paul. It was everything I expected and more. Paul still has a brother and sister who live there. They shared memories of growing up on the idyllic island and took us to their favorite beaches, restaurants, and sites. We had a Hawaiian dinner with leis, dancers, ukulele, and tropical food. The white sand beaches, clear blue water, and palm trees were mesmerizing. Surfers were everywhere walking barefoot with their boards in the city and along the beach. I could have watched them surf all day. We even heard a Doobie Brother concert for free behind the outdoor theatre at the beach park. We sat on wooden benches under the trees behind the stage and listened to all their hits as Paul's brother danced on the outdoor amphitheater stage. Hawaii was more magical than I hoped for! A wonderful way to begin our trip.

Our next stop was the Marshall Islands where we stayed in a one-room cement home with a window overlooking the rough ocean. It was the island Mayor's family compound and the relatives lived in a group of homes with an ocean view. The children played soccer in the center and walked on the stone beach wall barefoot. by our window. We walked out to the narrow island road and waited for a taxi to drive by when we wanted to go into town. You can't call a taxi They just stop and pick up people along the 15-minute drive into the capital city. It cost us $5 a trip and we met interesting drivers and passengers of all ages usually with a baby on a lap. It is a sleepy narrow island full of cement homes, offices, and stores where you stand outside and peek into the window to request what you would like to buy. There is usually a baby asleep on the store floor mat too. Life is easygoing here and no one is in a hurry. The women wear long skirts and flowers in their hair. The men are heavy-set with serious expressions. One day, we took a boat to an uninhabited island for the day to snorkel and find shells and coral along the shoreline. It was so peaceful and quiet until the afternoon showers came. Erosion is an issue and the islands are shrinking. I enjoyed a Mother's Day brunch at the local resort with Mashalese food and live music by the ocean. It was hard to leave the Marshall Islands for our next destination.

After five hours of island hopping on a plane, we landed in Guam where we are now. The plane was like a bus with islanders dressed in tropical-patterned shirts and dresses carrying ice chests taped up. I found out it was their cheap suitcase. They just taped it up and traveled. When they arrived, they had an ice chest to use too. They seat-hopped around the plane and kept getting kicked out of the front row. They treated the plane like a bus and were having their own parties. Each island had a tiny airport with palm trees and cement beach homes. Guam was a pleasant surprise with a large airport and everyone spoke perfect English. We asked the taxi driver to stop at a large supermarket full of American food while we stocked up for our idyllic Air BnB overlooking the ocean in the middle of nowhere. The local owner lives next door and took us to the Night Market to watch the local Guam traditional dances and sample the food and fresh fruit juices. It's an interesting area with an American influence, beautiful beaches, and tropical food. There is an American military presence on the island. It became a popular port because it drops down to 7 miles deep less than a mile from shore. Big military ships can come into port easily. Our part of the island had a smallpox epidemic many years ago that stopped anyone living here for many years. It is still very quiet in this part of the island paradise.

So my daily routine is peaceful and full of natural beauty and fresh air. My husband asks me daily about the date which I can still remember. I don't feel like I'm that forgetful or regressing. Yesterday I woke up and forgot where I was for a moment which was freaky. Then I relaxed and it came back to me that I am on an island in an idyllic part of the world in the middle of the Pacific oOean. Life is good and I appreciate each moment in the tropical paradise of Guam.