Think of Guam as a little slice of America, but Pacific Island-style.

Guam is a lot like a small town in the U.S., with malls and fast food restaurants (we have most of them, but not all), Kmart and Home Depot and Internet access practically everywhere.

We have roads and power and American-style schools and everyone speaks English (though perhaps with a Chamorro accent many times).

But if we’re very American in many ways, we’re also not in others. We have a very Spanish, Catholic tradition, for example. We celebrate Catholic holidays, and have fiestas all the time, and many people speak Chamorro

We have our problems like anywhere else — we have government corruption sometimes, but have mostly honest government workers.

but above all the natural beauty of the island shines through

It can be very hot and humid here, but mostly it’s just stunningly gorgeous weather in the 70s and 80s and sometimes 90s.