Some Pros to Saipan.

This list is still a work in progress but so far here's what I have:

Weather-it's always summer in Saipan. Though I miss the seasons it's extremely nice to know that it's going to be sunny and warm everyday.

Beaches- And TONS of them. They're so beautiful and never crowded.

Thursday night Street Market- Every thursday night they shut down the same street and local vendors sell all kinds of food--4 choices for $5! It's super crowded but it is so fun. It feels liek what I imagine the spice market in India would be like.

Saipan Garage Sale- It's basically a huge flea market every Saturday and is super fun. You never know what odds and ends you'll find there.

Tropical flowers- I LOVE flowers and Tim used to always bring flowers home to me because he knew how much I loved them but here there is no need to. There are flowers EVERYWHERE. And they are oh so beautiful.

Fruit- Tuesday night they have a fruit and vegetable market where local farms sell their crop for CHEAP. When we very first arrived we got 4 mangoes for $5. Bananas are ALWAYS in season and you can get a huge heap of them for $1. We also have guava, papaya and coconut almost always.

Asian influences- I can find hello kitty or sanrio like characters everywhere and LOVE it.

Local stores- There aren't really any big department stores but there are dozens of privately owned stores. They're a bit of a surprise each time we go to a new one. We have fun some really fun and interesting things in these small shops.

The people- Everyone is so lively and fun. And it's so nice to be around Filippinos all the time. It reminds me so much of my mom.

Second Families- We honestly have become such a close knit community so quickly with a few other families. Owen and June are basically like brother and sister with lots of their friends and it's so nice to have families and friends you can rely on and feel so comfortable around.

Love for Babies- everyone here is crazy about babies. They are always wanting to hold them or play with them or even take pictures of them. Lots of times people will ask if they can carry my kids to the car for me and at parties and events it's like free babysitting!

Snorkeling- The aqautic life here is incredible because of the coral reef that surrounds the island. Tim and I are wanting to get an underwater camera because the fish are just so colorful and beautiful.

Hiking- The land here is beyond beautiful. It's very rugged and untamed and most of the main hikes are fairly easy.

Incredible views: It's almost impossible to not have an ocean view wherever you go on the island. We can see the neighboring island of Managaha from our house window and I sometimes can't believe we actually live here.

Reggae music- Huge hightlight of living here! Over christmas they had carolers sing song to a reggae beat and I about died of happiness.

Cheap spa services- I've never been one to do these things because of the price but for $20 an hour the massages are great! And pedicures at only $15 a pop have also become a favorite!

Easy hair- The humidity and salt in the air makes my hair SUPER wavy/curly and there's no use in trying to do anything with it. Fortunately its just one less thing I have to worry about.

Everything is so lax here- No one cares what you wear and shoes are optional just about everywhere

Seamstress- seriously I will be so sad when we leave. Having a seamstress hand make and tailor your clothing is INCREDIBLE. I've had her copy two shabby apple dresses and they're almost identical and only cost me about $20 a pop.

Full service gas staions- At first it made me uncomfortable but now I love it. I can have my car filled up, the trash taken out and anything I want from the store without ever having to leave my car.

Health- We eat healthier by default because a lot of American foods aren't available here or they're just too expensive.

Housing is cheap- We have a 4 bedroom furnished house with a pool and a guard and are paying next to nothing.

Asian food- I honestly have had some of the most incredible Asian food EVER here--and for super cheap.

Cleaning services- Another service that is SUPER cheap here. Usually once a month I pay a lady (who is also a friend) around $30 for half a day to clean my house. The two of us together and get the entire house spic and span within about 4 hours and I will seriously miss that luxury of help when we leave.

Time- The island is so small that it takes little to no time at all to get anywhere. You can circle the entire island by road in about 30 minutes. When people say things are "far" they mean it's about 10 minutes away.

History- A huge part of WWII happened here and they've left everything where it stood. The history is just so alive here it's incredible.

Gardening- The humidity and temperatures are ideal for everything to just grow! I've only managed to kill one of 5 plants we've been given and for me that's a record!

Mini vacation- It's only a 10 minute ferry ride to the island of Managaha which has been listed as one of the top 20 most beautiful beaches in the WORLD. Boo yah.

As I said--this list is a work in progress, I'm sure I'll have MUCH more to add later!