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When my husband told me that we were possibly moving to Saipan, he led the conversation with, “Hey, honey. What do you think of Saipan?” My answer was, “I don’t think about Saipan much.”

That was the truth.

I had heard of Saipan before, but could I pinpoint it on a map? Probably not. I thought that it was maybe just off of Japan. But, as far as any other source of information on Saipan? I had none.

It turns out that I’m not alone. None of my family, friends, or online community knew more than I did about Saipan. Few had ever even heard of it. My mom thought I was saying Taipan. Overall, Saipan was somewhat a mystery to most folks.

The internet was not very helpful. Trying to get information about Saipan is a challenge, to say the least.

This island is very up to date on modern internet usage and speed, however, actual use of the internet by the locals to spread information with the rest of the world about Saipan is a little less likely here than in most places.

What I’m trying to say is that my move here was quite mysterious. I wasn’t really sure what we were getting ourselves into.

Saipan is an island of beauty, unique cultures, and a mesh of old traditions mixed with modern lifestyles. Located in the Pacific Ocean (technically we are an Asian island), Saipan is part of the Central Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which include Guam, Tinian, and Rota.

The CNMI are Commonwealths of the United States. While we do have Representation, we don’t vote at the Federal level. Most people speak English – loosely, but they try hard. The locals of this island are the Chamorro and The Carolinians. Their language and cultures are dominant here, but you are just as likely to hear Chinese, Japanese, Tagalog, Filipino, Korean, or Russian.

Saipan was the decisive battle for the Allies in the Pacific Theater during WWII. Think of it as the Pacific D-Day. As such, there are many, many memorials – both to the actual battle fought here and to Peace- located all around the island. We even have a Federal park here!

In August 2015, a Category 5 storm named Typhoon Soudelor came slamming straight into Saipan. The island suffered a heavy casualty and is still being rebuilt in a lot of places. However, since then there has been a huge surge to the economy thanks to tourism in part to a boom in the casino industry on the island.

I would love to see more Americans visit Saipan and find out what a rare gem this little island really is! With that in mind, I have decided to share a monthly adventure with y’all from around the island. This island is full of gorgeous places that I just can’t wait to show off!

Today is my first post in the Saipan Series! Today I take you to meet the Old Man By The Sea!

You will have to forgive my video. It is the very first time I have ever used a selfie stick or even videoed myself in selfie mode.

I’m Gen X, Y’all. We like technology, but we’re still slow to start using it.

So bear with my bad filming and know that I promise to get better as I go if you’ll just stick with me. Be a nice little guinea pig, won’t you?

Old Man By The Sea is a natural rock outcropping. His “face” is shaped by years of natural weathering thanks in large part to the waves. To get to him you take a very overgrown hike through the jungle. It takes about thirty minutes to get down to him, but like Tommy says in the video, it’s worth the hike!

For those of you who would rather look at pictures than video, here are the highlights:

Selfie with the Old Man. He’s very photogenic, don’t you think?

To get to the Old Man By the Sea you park on the side of the road, in the middle of a very tight curve. Be careful, and watch out for the drivers! Being on an island with drivers from so many places around the globe gives the driving here a unique vibe. (That’s me being super nice, and not telling you that the driver’s here are pretty terrible. Be cautious and aware!)

I absolutely recommend you take a day hike through the jungle and go visit the Old Man By The Sea! Take yourself a small picnic and enjoy the beach while you’re there. Be careful swimming around those large boulders though. The waves are very strong and unforgiving on this part of the island since there is no reef to break the waves on.

I’m so glad you came with me today as I showed off my beautiful island home! Being a Southerner, I was worried that the culture here would be too different, and Saipan and I would never be able to reconcile our cultural differences. I couldn’t have been more wrong!

Saipan is the warmest and most welcoming island you’ll ever visit! So come on out to the middle of the Pacific, y’all! Saipan is waiting to steal your heart, and the Old Man By The Sea is waiting for a selfie.

Have you ever been hiking in the jungle? Or take a selfie with a rock? Let me know in the comments!

I’d love it if you’d pin me! Thanks for stopping by!

For more pictures from our adventures in Saipan, please visit my Instagram by clicking here.