I'm heading home to Texas at the end of this month. I'll miss Guam but it's time for a change. I moved here originally for scuba diving and to use Guam as a base to explore Micronesia. Also because it was only a short flight to the Philippines. Covid threw a wrench in all of that. I've not made any trips for the last 16 months because of it. It's also been over 3 1/2 years now since the last time I've been home. I'd planned to go last summer but then the pandemic hit.
I'm in the process of purchasing a duplex in my hometown. I'll be closing a couple of weeks after I get home. The side I'm planning to live in has a renter in it now, but they'll be out at the end of June. I'll live in the duplex for at least a year and then we'll see what the covid situation will be. About 2/3rds of my mortgage will be paid by the renter on the other side, who has lived there for 2 years and already signed an extension for another 2 years. In a year if I decide to travel again, I can rent out the side I'll be living in and it will easily cover the mortgage, management fees, and have a bit leftover. Not wanting to get too tied down anywhere. Once life starts (hopefully) returning to normal I'll be traveling again 🙂
Going home is going to give me a chance to finally get rid of all the things I don't need anymore that have been collecting dust in my storage the last six years. The first few years it was because I wasn't decided what I was going to do and the last few because I've not been home to take care of it. One thing I'll definitely do during the next year is to simplify my life and get rid of a lot of the "clutter" that's been taking up space there for so many years!
Being home also means that I'll be much closer to the great scuba diving south of the US throughout the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coasts of Mexico and Central America. I've not been to Central or South America yet so over the next few years, I expect I'll add a few more countries to the 29 I've visited so far. I'm looking forward to that 🙂
For those who have read my earlier blog pieces, I'm still in school. I had decided early this year to change my degree though to a BA in Anthropology. I love doing research and writing, and I love teaching. It seemed a good direction to go. I would have graduated next year. But now I'm going home and I'll have to decide if I really want to continue school or go into something else. Moving means changing schools and because of what's available and not available, changing majors too. That's going to extend me another year... things to think about 🤔🙂 I've added another 53 credits (not counting this semester) the last couple of years to the 54 that I transferred. With the 12 anticipated after grades post in a couple of weeks, I'll leave Guam with another 65 credits of college completed. If I'd not changed my major 3 times because of moving around, I'd be almost finished 😂
I've looked into is studying judo when I get home. I trained in karate for 21 years before I went back on active duty in 2001. I've always wanted to train in a grappling art to round out my karate. It turns out there is a very good judo school I can train at. I'm looking forward to it 🙂
Three weeks from now I'll be spending my last night on Guam before I fly home. I'm really looking forward to getting my Harley out of storage and going for a ride! 😎
