Saipan!

My Guam stay was short. After a planning meeting to reschedule all that I messed up, I hopped over to Saipan--where America's Day also begins.  Nothing like landing in Saipan where this feeling of "home" sweeps over you. Saipan was my first island (way back in 2003!). Saipan gave me friends for a lifetime.

The view to Saipan was full of rainbows, as you can see. I kept singing, "God put a Rainbow in the Clouds."  (These were all different rainbows, and I probably saw another five or six.  A few years ago flying from Guam to Japan, I think I saw over 20!)

I also had great views of Guam, Rota, Aguijan, Tinian, and Saipan! 

Rota

Aguijan (Goat Island)

Tinian

Tinian

Saipan

If you are a WWII buff, I had great views of Tinian.  These are the runways the Enola Gay took off from with the atomic bombs. I have driven on these runways many times.  But we could never get our car quite fast enough to fly.  

You know you're home when you are immediately recognized at the airport and hear, "Hey Laura, welcome back!" by a friend of many years. Saipan is a little like Pontotoc County --always seeing people you know.  I'm glad she called me out because I was being picked up by strangers. Had she not said my name, I don't know if we would have connected as they were wearing masks.....and people look nothing like their pictures in a mask. 

When I arrived to the house, I had a welcome fruit "basket"!