I'm moving to Guam!
I haven't been a complete waste of space these past 9 months. I spent several months working in retail, where I learned some important life lessons, including the importance of being nice to retail workers. More recently, I tried (and unfortunately failed) to become an officer in the US Marine Corps. I lasted an emotionally and physically exhausting 8 weeks at Officer Candidates School in Quantico, VA before getting sent home. That was, um, exciting? I don't really think 'fun' is the right word. OCS was crazy hard and I'm really glad I don't have to get yelled at, eat horrible food, or wake up at 3:30am every morning any more. But on the plus side, it really kicked my butt into shape and all my clothes look great! |
| Guam has lots of snakes and spiders, if you didn't know. Photo via Slate. |
 |
| A slightly more appealing photo of Guam. Via National Car Rental. |
 |
| That's me on the far right. Not a very flattering picture--none of the photos were, honestly. You can really see the joy and excitement on our faces, right? (No. You see exhaustion and hunger.) |
I didn't expect to fail out of OCS, and so I didn't have a backup plan in place. In retrospect, that wasn't very bright. I had always planned to go back to school, but my Big Life Plan had that scheduled for after the military, about 4-8 years from now. But sometimes plans change and you just have to roll with it!
For a few years, I'd had my eye on a master's program at the University of Guam. I applied very last-minute and to my surprise, I was not only accepted, but they also allowed me to start in the Spring 2015 semester! That is currently about a month away. I'm super excited and I've been very busy the past few weeks getting ready to move.
I'm also very lucky to be making a mini-trip (5 days) to South Korea before I start school! It's great because I'll be able to visit a few old haunts and spend some time with friends I haven't seen in over a year. (And eat a whoooole lot of delicious Korean food!)
I leave for Korea on January 6th, so I haven't got much time left to pack, prepare, and spend time with my family. Most people don't know much about Guam, so I've been getting a lot of questions about it. (For example, when I called my credit union to ask about student loans, the girl I spoke to had never heard of Guam and just kept repeating, "We don't offer student loans for schools in foreign countries," even after multiple attempts to tell her that it was, in fact, part of the USA.) So to help clear things up, I thought I'd answer a few common questions I've been getting lately.
Guam FAQ
Why are you going to Guam?
The University of Guam has a very cool Graduate Biology Program that I've been looking at for a few years. I'll get to study marine biology on a tropical Pacific island, who could complain about that? The faculty are doing really interesting work on a variety of topics ranging from cone snail venom to pharmaceutical uses for sponge bacteria. Neat, right?
Where the heck is Guam?
Guam is a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Japan and Australia. It's in the Northern Hemisphere and is as close as you can get to the international date line without being in eastern Australia or a very cold part of Russia. Guam is a U.S. territory and home to several U.S. military bases, so United States citizens don’t need a passport to come to the island.
 |
| Click to make bigger. See the brown blob in the middle? Guam is the tiny orange spot right above it. |
How long will you be on Guam?
It generally takes two to three years for students of the program to graduate with their master's degree, so that's how long I'm currently expecting to be there. (There is no PhD option at UoG.)
What is Guam like?
Guam is a tropical island, so it’s always hot. The average temperature is between 76-82 degrees.
The rainy season lasts from July to October. There are lots of coral reefs, mangroves, and beautiful sandy beaches around Guam. There are also lots of brown snakes, spiders, and Japanese tourists. It works out great for me because I love all those things!
Do they speak English on Guam?
Yes. Guam has two official languages: English and Chamorro (pronounced “chah-MORE-oh.”) Guam was colonized by the Spanish for over 300 years, and the Chamorro language has strong Spanish influences. Many people here also speak Japanese due to the high volume of Japanese tourists.
How big is Guam?
Guam is quite small--just 30 miles long and between 4-12 miles wide. It’s about ⅓ the size of Rhode Island.
Is Guam like a third-world country?
Nope! You can drink the water (even if it's a little rusty) and there are plenty of stores with all the basics and most of the luxuries of the mainland. Guam is home to the world's largest (and at this rate, soon-to-be last) Kmart store. That said, everything is more expensive on Guam due to the cost of shipping it to an island in the middle of the Pacific!
Is Guam safe?
Guam has a low violent crime rate, so yes, it's pretty safe. I hear there are issues with property crime, especially if you leave things outside or not chained down. There's a lot of poverty on the island, and since poverty and crime go hand-in-hand, it's not surprising that people steal. There are also wild dogs on the island, which (as I learned first-hand on Bonaire) can be troublesome, especially for runners and bikers. While Guam isn't exactly dangerous, in the interest of safety, I probably won't go running at night.
What is there to do on Guam?
There's lots to do! Shopping is a popular activity, especially with the Asian tourists, because there's no sales tax on Guam. Hiking and lounging on the gorgeous beaches are popular pastimes too. Guam also has some stunning coral reefs, so scuba diving is a big industry here. I plan to do lots of scuba diving! (And probably some spider and snake hunting too. I do love those creepy crawlies!)
How do you get to Guam?
You fly, of course! Flights to Guam are actually not as bad as you'd expect, in terms of layovers. I can get to Guam in just two flights: Detroit to Tokyo, then Tokyo to Guam. Guam is a popular destination for the Japanese, so they have lots of flights. However, it's also possible to take a direct flight to Seoul (South Korea) and then take a different airline direct to Guam. This route is often cheaper and shorter time-wise, but more risky, since a flight could change and then you're out of luck with the other flight.
How long does it take to get to Guam?
A really long time. No matter which way you go, you're looking at between 18-24 hours of travel time from the eastern USA--and that's assuming you have really short layovers. The longest I've seen is 54 hours, yikes!
How much does it cost to get to Guam?
Too much! A round-trip flight from Detroit to Guam on United runs between $1400-$2000 for economy seats booked well in advance. Delta is typically well over $3000, although they're more affordable if you use miles. Add in baggage fees, typically $150-$200 round-trip, and you're looking at a very expensive flight! (Interestingly, a one-way trip is usually the exact same price as the round-trip ticket.)
Unfortunately, while most major US carriers have partners, it's hard to book flights on partner routes. For example, Korean Air (a partner of Delta) flies from Seoul to Guam, and they operate the flight from Detroit to Seoul, but because that flight is technically a Delta flight, you can't book them together. It's very complicated, but don't worry, I always find the best deal! (Because I do a lot of research before I book. A LOT. We're talking spreadsheets and everything.)
What is the University of Guam like?
It's a pretty small school, as expected on a small island. UoG has less than 4,000 students total, almost all of which are Asian-Pacific Islander descent. Just 4% of the university's students identify as 'white/non-hispanic, so I might stick out a little on campus?
It's an 'open enrollment' school, which means that anyone who applies will be accepted. Most students are from Guam, but a lot of students come from the nearby islands in the Marianas chain. UoG offers over 60 undergraduate majors and about 10 graduate programs. Popular majors include education, psychology, English, biology, computer science, criminal justice, pre-nursing, and business. They also have a variety of specialized buildings, like the UoG Marine Laboratory, dedicated to helping the island and its population.
UoG has no official sports teams, although I hear they have intramural leagues. (No word yet on if there's a running club, since that's as close to 'team sports' as I'll ever get.) They have an athletic facility called the Fieldhouse which, according to the school website, comprises "3 basketball courts, 3 volleyball courts, a weight-training room, 2 fitness rooms, locker rooms, showers, 5000-seat arena, a main basketball floor, a volleyball court for international and college competition, recreational courts for basketball or volleyball, and 4 badminton courts" and is used for a variety of community events ranging from trade shows to beauty pageants. UoG's colors are green and white, and their mascot is the Tritons.
There aren't many photos of the campus, or of Guam in general, so I'll be sure to take a lot when I get there!
Guam sounds great... but are you ever coming back to the US?
I'm coming back in February for a friend's wedding--it's my first time being a bridesmaid and I'm very excited! But after that, it might be a while before I make it back to the motherland because the flights are so pricey. A $2000 ticket is just too expensive, especially for a broke student like me!
Have any other questions I didn't answer here? Leave them in the comments and I'll answer them as best I can! :)
Cheers and happy holidays,
Ashton
P.S. Look down there! Now you can easily share this post via Facebook, Twitter, email, or Pinterest with the click of a button!
