Adventurous Seoul: Lunar New Year break: Guam and Saipan

This year, Lunar New Year fell on Monday, January 23rd and we also had Tuesday off from work. What does a 4-day weekend mean? Vacation! What is Lunar New Year? Check my post from last year here.

Misty, Kristen and I were in need of a mini-vacation to a wonderful, tropical place so we headed to Guam! Hellloooo USA (just on the other side of the world!).

Guam is a US territory located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is the largest island in Micronesia .

Being in Guam was comfortable and familiar. It was nice to have all the comforts of home (language, $moola, chains) but it was also nice exploring a new place on the other wide of the world. Our long weekend included shopping, going to the largest KMart in the world, eating, riding in a sling shot and taking thousands of pictures for Kristen's future grandchildren. :)

We left the peninsula on Friday afternoon, had a layover in Tokyo and landed on US soil at about 1am.

It's not a trip for me without some obnoxious documentation

Vacay-mode

Relaxation mode

Oompa-loompa mode

Guam!!!

Lunch at Ruby Tuesday's...hehe

Taaa-daaaa.

Cute stickers all over Guam and Saipan that said "Where America's Day Begins"

Guamanian license plate

Local currency...HAHA. Lame.

You are here!

Nighttime Guam

We rode the Sling Shot: 0 to 100 in 1 sec!

When it rained, we went to Chuck E. Cheese--where a kid can be a kid!

On Sunday, I flew to Saipan for the day (it is only a 50 minute flight). Saipan has been on my travel list for 12 years and I can't believe I finally went there!

(Cue corny music) In 10th grade, a very funny and friendly girl named Angiel walked into my math class. We quickly hit it off. We were in choir together and even attended the same church. Angiel always told great stories of her home island, Saipan. I told her that one day, I would travel there.
In college, I met Joyce through one of my good friends, Leslie. I remember meeting her and finding out that she was from Saipan. Together, Joyce and I have Leslie's parties, we've gone to college formals, and we were even bridesmaids in Leslie's wedding. Joyce, her husband and her daughter moved back to Saipan around the time that I moved to Korea. While I was planning my trip to Guam, I realized I would probably never be so close to Saipan again so I emailed Joyce and we were able to meet up for the day! (Joyce and Marco: I had a great time. Thanks so much for everything!)