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To be honest, I don’t know why I haven’t been blogging my travels. I don’t know if it’s the overwhelming number of photos to edit or if it’s because I feel there aren’t enough nice photos to begin with.

Either way, I’m stomping my foot (on myself) and sitting my ass down and forcing myself to relive (and remember) the wheres, the whats and the hows. Let’s start with Guam.

I found myself in the beautiful island of Guam last July for a 6-day stay. Hosted by my friend, we drove around the whole island (it’s pretty small) and went to the hot places and the must sees.

All in all, it was an interesting trip with a lot of firsts and even more realizations. Guam is such a beautiful place where the beaches are literally viewable from almost any apartment location and about a 5 minute drive from any point. The food is amazing (the serving’s big) and the people the epitome of islanders and living the island life. They’re so chill but not in the annoying surfer dude kind of way. Not lazy either. Just calm and collected and seemingly peaceful.

It turned out to be a lot more American than I thought and a lot more expensive than I imagined. There were so many Filipinos (40% of the population to be more accurate), millions of Japanese tourists and Chamorros (locals from Guam.) There are military bases there so depending where you stand on being close to officers that’s either a good thing or a not-so-good thing.

If you enjoy the beach, parties by the beach, drinking by the beach and anything and everything you can do at the beach, then Guam is for you. I’m such a water-girl at heart that my most serene moments were spent just lying down on the sand. I was able to roam alone most of the time, shop alone and discover alone. Too alone sometimes that I even went to the UnderwaterWorld by myself. It wasn’t necessarily terrible to be alone but it’s just that no one can take your photos (selfies aren’t my cup of tea) and no one can hold your hand in sudden panic attacks that the aquarium would cave in. Sharks, guys.

Here are some recommendations:

1. Dine at Proa. Then dine at Jamaican Grill. They’re both famous for the barbeque and it’s kind of been a major debate of which is better so I encourage you to take the challenge and test it out yourself.

2. Visit DFS (Duty Free Store). The shops in Guam are tax-free, so if you’re a shopaholic, that means no tax on designer labels such as Chanel, Prada, Gucci and more. Research though as some items are more expensive because everything is imported. Don’t forget it’s a small island in the middle of nowhere.

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3. For parties, hit up Beach Bar for that chill night with drinks by the beach and live music. If you want more of a sports bar, hit up Horse and Cow. There are billiards tables, beer pong tables and a mechanical bull. I tested two out of three (which two I won’t tell.)

4. Dine at Mosa’s. This burger joint wins an award almost every year for their burgers and trust me they deserve the hype. Try their lamb burgers and four cheese burgers. So. Good.

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5. Visit the Chamorro Village. It’s basically a pop-up market every week with stalls from apparel, to Chamorro novelties (such as decorated coconuts), and food stalls. They also have firedancers and hula dancers (more Beyonce than your typical Hawaiian stereotype, mind you.)

6. If you’re into locking your love with actual locks a la Paree, visit Two Lover’s Point for a different take on the love locks. It’s been said two lovers fell in the cliff and passed and that the name was dedicated in their memory. If you go to the very top you’ll see the best view of Guam.

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7. Enjoy the beach. The best beach I visited was right behind the shops. But it’s beach after beach after beach and you will have your fill. Forget your troubles, drink mojitos and just meander. Nothing is more relaxing.

You don’t need 6 days to see the whole of Guam. 2 might actually be enough but, if you enjoy the island life, the longer the better.