My latest secret morning adventure was a fun one! Something called me to visit the Hilton Guam Resort & Spa…but not inside the hotel. There is a hillside to the left of the hotel that overlooks the beach, and is right on the point at the “beginning” of Tumon Bay.
All in all, this hotel and its landscape is gorgeous. They have two or three different chapels and there isone that is to the far left, up this side road all the way to the very point of the point if you can imagine that. It is gorgeous.
Garden Pathways
Path to overlook the ocean
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I was fascinated by the egg shaped domes!
There are eggshaped domes, one at the entrance, and one off to the side, like a gazebo of sorts. Is this to symbolize fruitfulness and abundance? I hope so! There is a sort of moat that goes around the huge a-frame chapel. I stepped inside (I got lucky. It’s usually locked but they were getting read for a ceremony and would only let me stand at the entrance to take a picture, as they had just shined the floors) and I took a photo of the inside view. I can’t quite describe what it felt like in there. Like you were floating above the ocean, this little oasis of a chapel, it was magical indeed. If I ever get married, this would be a beautiful place to have the ceremony!
Inside the chapel, overlooking the ocean
A "moat" gives the chapel an elegant and enchanted feel
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The garden paths are edged by a steep dropoff to the ocean
What I really loved about this place was the little gardenways around that lead to little lookouts over the ocean. I felt like I was in a secret garden of sorts, with little pathways leading this way and that way. Flowers, rock formations, and the cliffline overlooking the ocean…
What an elegant morning. All this exploration happened in a span of about 45 minutes, before I was heading
Found me a small plumeria!
off to work. SO worth it! Just to have that solitude time of aimless exploration (though I did have a few targets during this adventure, like the chapel, and the view, and getting in some walking time). It was enough to energize me for the whole day! I breezed through work with a smile, with speed and efficiency,
Bouganvillea, Guam's official flower, known in Chamorro as the Puti Tai Nobiu which means "Hurts without a lover"
and most important, quality! I am forever grateful for rediscovering my love for adventure, secret explorations and missions, solitude, spending time with Mother Nature, and just making the space to BE. A carved out slice of time where I have absolutely no obligations. No shoulds, no “supposed tos”.
Butterfly spotted on the ground during one of my morning adventures
Who doesn’t love butterflies? Maybe there are people out there who don’t, but I just love them. I love the way they flutter around, dancing from flower to flower drinking up the nectar.
Of course there is the magnificence of the whole metamorphosis phenomenon…a tiny caterpillar that grows and grows, eating leaves and inching its way across the ground floor and through the stems of plants. Then it curls itself up into a cocoon, giving it some pushing force that is its catalyst for growing and strengthening a beautiful pair of wings. When the time is right, the creature breaks free from its self imposed resistance and sets flight out into the world.
We all go through similar processes, these growth stages, breaking through our self imposed resistances and setting ourselves free. Some of us feel these changes dramatically, others more subtly. All of us have a pair of beautiful wings that are there when we are ready to fly!
Butterfly Cluster
My latest morning adventure was quite the adventure for sure! I decided to go to the Hilton Hotel and park by their hillside. They have beautiful gardens and walkways and a road that leads up to the chapel that sits on the point. It is a breathtaking area. While walking, I was surrounded by butterflies! They were everywhere. It felt like I entered the secret land of the butterfly kingdom. I wondered if a royal butterfly palace might be somewhere near… There was a lot of magic in the misty morning air. The sun shone down brightly, lighting up all the leaves and flowers, though a storm was brewing on the ocean side.
At one point they were EVERYWHERE. Swirling around me, I felt so entranced to be in the middle of this butterfly dance! I managed to capture a video of this flutterby whirlwind which you can view below. I apologize in advance for any shakiness in the video, I did my best, lol! Enjoy my first amateur movie!
The Plaza de Espana is a pretty special place. It is a very important historical site here on Guam, though I won’t go into great detail on that history right now.
This one morning, it called to me when I was waiting for the post office to open. There were 15 minutes for me to indulge in a bit of adventure, so I decided to have a visit.
I parked by the back entrance and slowly made my way through the place. I felt a magical presence the entire time I was there. Maybe it had to do with the time of day, early in the morning, when the air was still cool and the birds were alive and talkative!
I’ll let the photos tell the rest of the story…
Had the faeries take my photo sitting on the wall
View through the gate toward the Chocolate House
Side Walkway toward Tool Shed
View of the Chocolate House
The Azotea
Stairway to...
The old Canon, used during WWII
The beautiful sky that morning
The front of the PlazaHere on Guam our snow comes in the form of fallen plumerias...
Sometimes its fun to walk in someone else's footsteps...
Here on Guam our snow comes in the form of fallen plumerias...
In an area that I don’t usually consider “paradise”, I found this magical little spot one morning! I passed it on the way to work and turned around to check it out. Its so weird because I drive by everyday, but have never noticed how beautiful this spot is when you look at it from certain angles! I think it is private property, which I discovered only as I was leaving of course!
The sky was actually pretty overcast, but there was a gorgeous rainbow, and the sun did manage to light up the scenery quite nicely. And to top it all off, there were some waves on the reef, peeling oh-so-sweetly.
Window to the Sea
As I left this peaceful spot, it dawned on me, growing up in a surfing family, that if the waves were peeling like this here, that a certain well-known surf spot should be breaking nicely as well, so I headed there next.
I caught a picture of pretty nice wave, but what really struck me was the light-being riding the wave! I swear, when I took the photo, no one was on that wave…and I check my lens for smears or drops of water. Could be light tricks, but I’d like to err on the side of magic.
The entrance to the site of this morning's adventure
Just at the top of the lookout...
As I remembered a particular look-out that I had discovered as a teenager… and as I thought about it, I it seemed like such a dangerous place. Why are there no guardrails or anything to help prevent any falls? Its just an “open” lookout.
In any case, I felt compelled to go look. I won’t be going back there anytime soon, as it wasn’t the most comfortable place to sit and write or relax. Knowing that the edge of the world was a couple feet away, it was a bit distracting…
Regardless, there was something that was fascinating about just being up there. Feeling the
The one small retaining wall decorated by the marks of those who'd been there before
energy of all the people who had been up there before…kind of creepy to be honest! All kinds of bizarre thoughts crossed my mind (how many have thought of jumping? How many were almost drunk enough to make a fatal mistake? How many had been with a lover there?) Many had left their mark by drawing or painting on the ground or the
The one small retaining wall, decorated by previous visitors
one small retaining wall, in the form of graffiti, gang tags, love notes, “Joe was Here” messages, and mixed doodles.
As I was walking around, I saw a policewoman walking toward me. I let her know I wasn’t doing anything crazy…just taking pictures! She seemed to be a bit relieved… It made me feel a bit more comfortable about the place, knowing that people are watching out for who goes up there, checking in that everything’s cool.
This made for an interesting start to my morning. Trying something new, something that was a bit uncomfortable for me… but I’m glad I followed where I was being pulled. There was a kind of humbling effect with being in such a vulnerable place. One wrong move and mother nature would take me as her own. It definitely gave me an out-of-the-box boost!
Another view looking down
The View Down Below
Under the lookout
The Police, checkin if I'm doing anything crazy...
The first of many secret solo missions of magic & peace!
So I have begun a new habit, if you will. It all began when I was starting to feel overwhelmed with life (yet again!) and needed some kind of break. I was looking for peace. And when I realized that I was having a hard time creating it within myself while in my usual settings (home and work), I decided to step out of the box.
I attribute my real urge for adventure to my Sagittarian roots, but anyone can enjoy doing this! On my way to work one morning after I dropped the boys off at preschool, I realized that I had about 20 minutes before I actually needed to be at work. I usually get there kind of early, and dawdle about…you know, browsing the internet, getting myself organized, getting a head start on setting up the store…but my mind was in “work” mode…in “I need to do ______” mode.
A beautiful park right by the beach, there is magic all around us if we are willing to see it!
So this one morning, I figured I could do my dilly dallying on paper (or not) somewhere else, somewhere peaceful and enjoyable. I was going for feelings of leisure, retreat and rejuvenation. And living on Guam, I’ve got the luxury of choosing between an ocean, jungle, field, coffee shop, or some other “scene” to step away from my usual routine.
I chose the beach as my first secret morning adventure. I parked and brought out my journal and a small blanket I happened to have in the car. It was quite divine! Just to be somewhere that made it impossible for me to WORK, or even think about work, was enough to replenish my soul. To just enjoy myself and relax, even for just 15 minutes, was pure magic.
Something about it being a secret is what made it fun. I felt a bit like a rebel, running away from life’s obligations. Obviously it’s no secret now that I’ve shared it here, but as long as the moment itself is a secret, that is what feels good. It added mystery, adventure, enthusiasm and mischief to my life. Quite fairy-like indeed!
I’ve been experimenting with a lot of style lately, fashion-wise, and more.
The root of it all, I’m feeling & seeing is satisfying the being in me that just LOVES to have fun, feel good, feel beautiful, elegant, intellegant, classy & professional, funky & funny, rough & edgy… ALL OF IT. I love it all, in different doses at different times.
And even deeper than that, is how awesome it feels to NURTURE my soul, my inner being, and to assert my SELF as my number one priority.
After 4 years of feeling like a maternal slave, I am FINALLY seeing a bit of balance coming in to play (literally) and it really all begins with me loving myself. In the past year and a half, I’ve really made a sincere effort to put ME first, and really define WHY me first. Not because I deserve more time for myself than I give to my children, thats not it at all. But more like because I deserve time to myself (in small or large amounts, depending on each unique moment!) as I need it, and am creative in the ways I make that time happen.
This morning, for example, I decided to totally indulge myself. After a not-so-great morning start with the kids, getting ready, barely making it on time to preschool (trying to change my vibe that we don’t HAVE to be there by a certain time…and change/simplify some things that will help us get there at geat time), etc…. I stopped by a bookstore and got a magazine (anyone ever read Monarch? Its a business-professional lifestyle magazine that highlights the talents & accomplishments of african americans, but is also such an inspiration to ANYONE (women!) trying to find there way career-wise and doing good in this world. I sat down in their cafe, splurged on a mochaccino and a slice of veggie quiche, which I savored completely. I felt so romantic, like royalty almost! I allowed myself to be served and taken care of, while just enjoying the scenery and some feel-good reading material. Then I went to Ross (in the same mall/building) to exchange a pair of jeans for a top and a belt. I let go of my believing that I needed to get to work by a certain time (as long as I made it in by 10am to open the store and set everything up real quick).
I usually drop the boys off at 8:30, and get to the store by 8:45 or 9, dawdle around on the computer/internet, nibble on something, slowly set the store up, to open by 10am. So I decided to use my time differently this morning, and get my ME time in a totally different atmosphere, and WOW that made a different. I made it to the store with 5-10 minutes before 10am, set up SUPER quick (that mochaccino was great!) and here I am, still getting computer time! It just goes to show how much easier/efficient you can be when your vibe is UP! So my # 1 priority is MYSELF, and mostly I mean MY VIBE.
You are loved. You have infinite love within you and can access it at any time. You are already loved, whether you are aware of it or not. When you give love, you feel the love that is shared. You ARE loved. You are ALREADY loved. You will always have access to infinite love. Thank goodness for this!
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I allowed myself to be served and taken care of, while just enjoying the scenery and some feel-good reading material. Then I went to Ross (in the same mall/building) to exchange a pair of jeans for a top and a belt. I let go of my believing that I needed to get to work by a certain time (as long as I made it in by 10am to open the store and set everything up real quick).
