I Cheated on My Home Rock and I Loved It
There’s nothing like living on a tiny rock in the sea to make you wonder what else is out there on the other side of the great wide ocean. I love my home rock, but the siren call of rocks unknown has managed to lure me away from time to time.
So much to do on Guam, yet I find myself in need of adventure.
I recently took the plunge and decided that Guam and I needed a break, so off to Hawaii I went. It was strangely familiar, yet totally different. While it was humid, beach-y, and filled with tourists just like home, I found it was also covered in beautiful hills and had so many attractions to check out. I couldn’t believe what a difference it was even between the Hawaiian Islands; from Oahu to Maui, there is such a varying attitude amongst the locals and each rock attracts a very different tourist. I loved it all. I would even go so far as to say that I can see myself spending forever in Oahu.
After our Hawaiian getaway, we decided to get out of the Pacific entirely and jetted off to the Bahamas. Again, I couldn’t help but laugh at the similarities. There are certain things that you just cannot escape, no matter the rock. For instance, now more than ever I believe the official bird of island living should 100% be the chicken. Where there are rocks, there will always be roaming fowl. And from Guam to Palau to Hawaii to the Bahamas, you can bet you’ll find yourself in near 100% humidity. My personal favorite of the indiscriminate island quirks that we could not manage to shake were the crazy taxi drivers. Islands may be thousands of miles apart, yet they all manage to have taxi rides that make your life flash before your eyes.
Mountains of Oahu
So why should you cheat on your home rock if they all seem to have many of the same traits? Because it is the differences that make you realize you can have more than one island love. After not leaving Guam for nearly three years, I had found myself in a rut of going to the same places. I stopped appreciating everything my rock had to offer because it was always there. Going to Oahu and Nassau, I found my sense of adventure again. As much as I love the Chamorro barbecue, it was refreshing to try other island cuisines. One would think that Hawaii would have the same culinary staples since they are just a hop over from Guam, but that could not be more wrong. The Kalua pork, fresh pineapple, and local coffee beans were enough to make me want to put a ring on Oahu and make it my forever rock. The fried conch and jerk chicken in Freeport Harbor in the Bahamas made me rethink every decision that led me to Guam. Do not even get me started on the local brews that all of the islands had to offer. Islands sure know how to rock the microbrews.
Cruising through the Bahamas and loving every second
Of course, at the end of each little affair, I found myself longing to go home. I was ready to enjoy all the little things that I had grown tired of before. I love each island I’ve had the pleasure to date for all that makes them unique and I look forward to my next time cheating on Guam, wherever that may be. Okinawa keeps whispering in my ear, and it may be time for me to finally give in to temptation. Not because I don’t love Guam, but because I need to be reminded of what makes Guam special to begin with.
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To all you rock hoppers out there – which islands do you love to “cheat” on your home rock with?
