Tweet I live here. I was sitting on a ferry today heading to snorkel on a small island called Managaha when it just hit me. I live here. I am not visiting. I am not passing through. I am not a tourist (even though sometimes I act like one!). I actually live here. I have an address, an apartment, friends, a church, and a job. And yet everyday, I wake up to the smell of the ocean, spend my days teaching students from all over the world, and my weekends exploring the beauty of God’s creation. Pictures just don’t do it justice. It is absolutely the most beautiful place I…

Tweet This was one of the first things that was told to me upon arrival to this island. I just laughed it off thinking, “No way.” However, this is the 3rd weekend in a row we have been invited to multiple cookouts. You see, in Saipan, people get together every weekend and have potlucks. Everyone brings something and you get together. You don’t even have to have a reason! I love it because I think it is such a beautiful picture of community. You see these cookouts always have the most wide array of people-locals, young, old, people from near and far, lawyers, teachers, housewives-you name it and you can…

Tweet So week three is down! Hard to believe we are heading into week four and that I have been here for almost six weeks. It feels much longer than that. I believe this is one of the few places in the world where time moves much slower. Perhaps it is because the weather is exactly the same everyday. Literally, it’s always around 85 and sunny and usually it rains at least once throughout the day. Everyday. Same thing. Which is amazing honestly because I hate cold weather so I am not at all complaining. It stays this way year round too which is even better. I do not have…

Tweet I got two more boxes today! I am only waiting on the final two, although, I can’t imagine what more I could need! I got the few decorations I sent myself today..mostly stuff from Africa, but it was nice to put stuff on my walls! So instead of huge white walls staring at me, a part of Africa is covering them. Which makes this feel a little more like home. I am getting settled in, organized, and back into a routine. My apartment is looking a little more like I live here and am not just visiting. Which also means it is slightly messy all the time, but it…

Tweet So week two is almost done..thank goodness!   I have had a rough week and I am ready for a few days to re-focus and re-energize. To anyone who thinks being a teacher is easy, they are so wrong. And trust me, those few months off in the summer are so needed because the work of a teacher never ends. I am always planning, grading, writing notes or a test, and even when I think I am finished, I will run out of time in class or get done too soon and then have to re-arrange my whole plan.    I have realized this week how much of a…

Tweet (you get two posts today!) So today we hiked to Forbidden Island. Aptly named because the locals believe that there are spirits living there and therefore will not go near it Although I believe it should have that name because of the hike to get there! My legs are going to be sore tomorrow! However, it was so worth it. We hiked down the side of a mountain basically..if you can imagine a mountain on and island..and then ended up at this small collection of caves and pools that you can swim and snorkel in. First of all, we hiked back into this cave and found a small pool…

Tweet So I had an awesome weekend! I went hiking on Saturday with some of my new friends here! and Sunday spent all day site-seeing around the island. This included a trip to the Grotto. A cave of sorts that fills with water and you can swim in it. So of course, I had to jump in. and once I jumped in once, I needed a new challenge. I saw these kids scaling the rock wall on the side to jump in. Being scared of water, my first thought was not to follow them, but the more I watched, the more I wanted to jump. So a really nice local…