Issue 1: New Year, New Weekend 🎉
The first issue of Guam's lifestyle newsletter – Week to Weekend
Håfa Adai Everyone!
We’re excited to announce the launch of Guam’s one-of-a-kind lifestyle newsletter –Week to Weekend! You guessed it – we’re your lifestyle guide to the week and into the weekend.
So, how did this newsletter come to be? We’re two local gals wanting to share our experiences here in beautiful Guam and Micronesia. We decided to start this lifestyle newsletter to share not only our island magic, but other neat gems we’ve found on the internet curated for your leisurely week and weekend reading.
Whether it’s tasty dishes whipped up by your favorite diners, locally made gifts, or seasonal festivals and events happening – we’re your guide to all things Guam (and beyond).
We kick off our first issue with our New Year’s weekend recommendations for eats, sights, and simple ways to mindfully wrap up 2022.
Subscribe and follow us on our journey with our foodie series as we go Off the Bitten Path and take a Restauran-TOUR (we love a bit of wordplay, btw 😉). Stay tuned as we got some wellness goodies brewing in our next issue. ☕️
Excited you’re here with us!
Much love,
Week to Weekend Team
🎊 Weekend Reading: New Year Traditions – Where Did They Come From?
Eating Soba Noodles 🍜 : Eating noodles have been a New Year’s tradition in many Asian countries, including China and Japan. Toshikoshi soba, as they would call it in Japan, means “noodles to part ways with the past year” and represents longevity.
Consuming a bowl of soba noodles at midnight is not only to welcome good health for the next year but is a mindful practice for reflection. Because the delicate soba noodles are exceptionally long, eating them symbolizes a “literal break” from the old year.Osechi Ryori 🍱: One of Japan’s oldest food traditions that features multi-tiered lacquered boxes with small dishes. It’s a traditional feast only served during New Year, with each dish having a significant meaning – kazunoko (pickled herring roe) for an abundant offspring, datemaki (sweet rolled omelet) for scholastic achievements, shiitake (mushroom) for health and well-being.
12 Round Fruits 🍇: On New Year’s Eve, families in the Philippines have 12 round fruits such as grapes, apples, and plums on their table. The round fruits represent prosperity as they resemble silver and gold coins. This tradition is also a Hispanic tradition.
Kissing at Midnight 💋: Ah, the famous and somewhat romcommy (yes, we’re coining this term) NY tradition – the kiss at midnight. According to Christina Fitzgerald, Ph.D., a professor of English literature at the University of Toledo, there’s an English and German folklore that indicates “whoever the person you’re with at midnight portends the type of luck you’ll have for the rest of the year.” Some call it luck, others call it superstition, we call it romcommy.
Which NY traditions are you celebrating? We’d love to know! Feel free to comment at the end of this post.
Your Week to Weekend Itinerary (Dec 29-Jan 5)
We’re not alone when we say that this year flew by. Most of us may be over it, but it doesn’t mean we can’t make the most of the last weekend of 2022. It’ll be a bittersweet ending but let’s say our sweet goodbyes to 2022 and hello to 2023 - we are excited for you!
In this weekend’s itinerary, we eat at our favorite local joints, watch the last sunrise and sunset of the year 🌅, count down and cheers at midnight 🥂 and enjoy the fireworks 🎆. We wish you a wonderful, prosperous, and happy New Year!
Here’s our (suggested) itinerary for the✨New✨weekend
AM Rituals
🧘🏽♀️ Meditate/Journal
End-of-year journaling is an opportune time to reflect, count our 2022 blessings, jot down all your wins and losses, and plan and strategize for the year ahead.
Check out some journal prompts here and this Glow Getter hard cover planner with weekly and monthly templates recently launched and locally crafted by Jojo Aquino Lebouef @travelingpetitegirl.
Image by Traveling Petite Girl via Etsy
You can write your goals, reflect on what you’re grateful for, track habits, and everyday planning. Be ready for 2023, glow get it! 😉
🌄 Watch the Last Sunrise of the Year
Head to the east side of the island to catch the last sunrise of the year. Our favorite places to get those early morning rays up close are here:
🥓🍳Breakfast – Pika’s Cafe
Open for breakfast and lunch from 7:30 am-3 pm
Forget lining up at McDonald’s long lines only to have them get your order wrong. Take your breakfasts to-go or take a breather and dine in at this local fave:
Sinfully start your morning with their Kahlua French Toast because who said that you can’t have dessert for breakfast? You won’t regret this choice. If you aren’t up for sweet, they have a Kimchee Bulgogi Fried Rice 🍳
📍Pika’s Cafe, Upper Tumon, 888 N. Marine Corps Drive, Star Building, Tumon, 96913
📍Little Pika’s, Pleasure Island, 1300 Pale San Vitores Road, Tumon, 96913
@pikascafe / @littlepikas
PM Wind Down
🌅 Sunset Walk/Evening Stroll in Agana
Before or after dinner, catch the last of the Holiday Light Festival in the historic village of Agana, where the lights stretch from Plaza de Espana through Guam Museum and Skinner’s Plaza 🎄 Listen in on the sweet serenade of the Guam Symphony playing their tunes on January 1, 6, & 7, starting at 6pm 🎼 See schedule and entertainment line up here.
📍193 Chalan Santo Papa Juan Pablo Dos, Hagatna, Guam
🤡 Winterland at the Circus
Juggling, acrobats, aerialists, ballerinas, speeding motorcycles… in spherical cages 🤯 Talent at its highest… we mean this literally, considering how high these individuals traverse on tight ropes. Need we say more? Get more info, tickets and pricing here.
📍210 Pale San Vitores Rd, Tamuning, Guam
🍝 Lunch and/or Dinner Recs
Capricciosa
Open from 11 am-9 pm
For lunch or dinner or both? Slurp your way into the new year with savory pasta from our favorite joint. Lately, our favorite has been the Shrimp and Clams Spaghetti in Tomato Cream Sauce 😋.
📍302 South Route 4 #100, Hagatna, Guam
Order Osechi from Hotel Nikko
Staying home for New Year? Nikko has three-tier Osechi Ryori Platters available from Dec. 31 - Jan. 1. $300 (+10% Service Charge)
📞 More details here.
Where to Catch the Countdown & Fireworks 🥂
Countdown
The Westin Resort Guam – New Year’s Eve Pool Party @Misty’s Beach Bar
🎉 7 PM - 12:30 AM | $40 (adults) and $20 for children. Performances by The John Dank Show, Crux, Fat Tofu, 777, and Straightupjed.
Dusit Thani & Dusit Beach Resort - Live More 2023
🎉 9 PM | $200 (single) $375 (couple) all-inclusive, 2 hotels and 3 parties. Performances by Pop Rocks & Soda, Frequency, DJ Sylnt
Hilton Resort & Spa – New Years Countdown Party
🎉 9 PM - 1 AM| $25 per person, $50 open bar, $80 per couple, $75 VIP. Performances by DJ Eric E & Passenger 3 Band.
Fireworks
At midnight, look to the sky and enjoy the fireworks at Ypao Beach Park and Paseo at the Hagatna Boat Basin. Ypao also has a special drone show before the big bang.
📍Tumon, Nikko Hotel: Open to the public. First come, first serve.
📍Tumon, Ypao Beach Park (Governor Joseph Flores Memorial Park). There will be a drone light show at 11:50 pm, followed by fireworks at midnight.
📍Hagatna, Paseo Hagatna Boat Basin with fireworks at midnight.
That’s a Wrap 🎁
We’d like to conclude our first newsletter with our warm wishes for a happy and prosperous New Year to you and yours. We hope you start or continue on with your New Year’s traditions, bask in those warm sun rays, eat well, drink responsibly, and seal that luck with a good luck kiss 💋 ✨
Don’t forget to subscribe below for our next issue where our focus will be on wellness - mental, physical, spiritual, and financial.
Cheers to the last weekend of 2022, have a good one 😉
Quick disclaimer: We are not sponsored or affiliated with the businesses mentioned above. Our recommendations are based on what we believe will add a bit of magic to your weekend.