So I recently moved back to Guam 5 months ago. And I can’t believe it’s been that long because it still feels like I’m still moving in. So after I made this video about moving from Germany to Guam. I decided to make a little update on how moving to Guam has been and what the process has been like.
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Watch my video below or scroll down to read ▼
In my video, I talk about things like:
- Why I moved to Guam
- Managing housing, furniture, car and our cats arriving in Guam
- My new job
- My husband’s, Vivek, lifestyle change
Why I moved back to Guam
The reason why I moved back to Guam was because my husband decided to separate from the military. And the military was how we met and how I ended up living in Okinawa and Germany before. I have more on that story here. I’ll also link it below. And we decided to move back to Guam because my parents, who rent out homes to the military, offered us to stay at one of their houses rent-free. And in a time where we weren’t sure about income, stability and a huge lifestyle change, we decided to take it. Basically, it was a generous offer we couldn’t refuse. The huge appeal for me was living close to family and living near the beach again. And a rent-free home was another layer on top of that. And as the months went by, we later found out how it was good timing that we moved here.
So I’ll start with the moving process
Housing
So just last month, we finally moved into the house where Vivek and I will be staying for the next year. We temporarily stayed at my brother’s house for 4 months then we finally moved into our own place. As far as utilities go, we had to set up our electricity with GPA. Water with GWA. Garbage with BSWA. And phone & internet with Docomo Pacific. And we went with them because they offered faster internet than GTA at our house. And then we got our phone through them because bunduru.
Furniture
And then it took 5 months for our furniture to ship from Germany and arrive in Guam. It shipped via freight and it actually arrived 2 weeks before the ETA we were given. Because a lot of our moving logistics was arranged by the military, we didn’t really have to worry about those details. All we had to do was wait for their email and tell them the address of where to deliver the furniture too.
And when the furniture was delivered, it was SO MUCH. It made me realize just how much shit we had. Vivek and I used to live in a 2 bedroom apartment in Okinawa and we were fine. And then we moved into a 4 bedroom house in Germany and over 2 years, I collected so much stuff. So the amount of boxes we had to unpack was overwhelming. And just over the weekend did we finally get rid of the bulk of it.
All in all, everything arrived great. Nothing broken and nothing missing.
So while moving our furniture went smooth, moving the car – not so smooth.
So before we moved out of Germany, we gave away my beater car to a friend. And shipped Vivek’s car. It took 4 months for it to arrive and it arrived 2 weeks later than the ETA we were given. Everything was fine for the most part, the little crack on the windshield I was worried about didn’t get worse. But Vivek did notice a dent on the hood. You don’t really notice it but once you see it, you can’t unsee it. He tried to fix it himself but it didn’t work. He reported it to the military and they offered $120 for “aesthetic damage.” So he went to Atkins Kroll, and they quoted $750 to fix it. He sent that quote over to the military and they offered to pay for it.
Cats
Moving the cats was a real hassle in Germany. So much paperwork, tests, deadlines and money. But once we moved to Guam, I almost didn’t have to do anything. Once we arrived in Guam, the Department of Agriculture picked up our cats as soon as we left the plane. 2 hours later, I received a call from the Animal Medical Clinic in Dededo saying our cats were ready for pick-up. And our cats pretty much transitioned pretty easily. Especially for cats, it’s not as easy to move compared to dogs.
Job
So moving to Guam ended up being good timing because when I saw my friend, Vanessa, she told me there was a job opening at her work that I’d be a good fit for. I haven’t had 9-5 in years. So I felt really rusty and inadequate. It was for a marketing position with good pay and I thought, I want to contribute a stable income for the next phase of my life. I’ll give it a try. After a few weeks and a couple of rounds of interviews, I got the job!
School
And because Vivek separated from the military, he decided to use his G.I. bill, where the military will cover your full tuition, books, school fees, and even housing. So he’s now going to college here. He originally chose accounting because you get a lot of career options but he ended up taking agriculture. Which worked out because not all universities have agricultural programs and Guam has a really good one.
Outro
So those are my updates lately. Life has definitely changed. I have friends asking me, “Are you going to have a wedding?” Vivek and I have been married for 3 years and I still want to. It’s just not a priority. But I also just want to do it and just have a small & simple one, invite close family and friends, take photos and be done with it. That way I don’t have to think about it anymore.