Merry Christmas from Kosrae

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The fall semester at College of Micronesia has officially wrapped up. Final grades have been submitted, and my red pen has been retired for the season. It’s time to pause and celebrate another memorable year in Kosrae.

As for Christmas plans — well, that’s where things get a little less organized. Stella and I won’t be spending the holidays in Kosrae this year. In fact, we don’t entirely know where we’ll be spending them at all. Our only plan so far is a pair of airline tickets to Manila.

As we head to the airport for a one-month, see-where-it-leads-us adventure, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a joyful holiday season. We’ll keep you posted as we go.

Below are a few snapshots of life in Kosrae over the past couple months. Updates will follow as our travels take us wherever they may.

Justina feeding a cow
Wild Tumeric
Christmas lites

Kosrae got cows this year. Four of them.  Since there are no pastures on the island, these cows live a truly free-range lifestyle, wandering wherever inspiration (and roadside snacks) lead them. Most days they can be found casually grazing on Merremia — a relative of kudzu and one of Kosrae’s more aggressive invasive plants. I’m delighted to see Merremia finally finding a use. Maybe the real solution is … more cows.

There’s only one season in Kosrae: Spring.  Flowers bloom year-round, apparently unaware of calendars. On a recent jungle walk, I stumbled upon this patch of wild turmeric — proof that even a casual stroll in Kosrae doubles as a botanical field trip.

Kosraeans love decorative lights.  Here’s one of our neighbor’s driveways glowing after dark. Christmas is a wonderful excuse to make our dark tropical nights sparkle.

We are now a two-bike household.  Kosrae has exactly one paved road, mostly flat, hugging the beach along the island’s east side. With cars rarely exceeding 25 mph, it’s about as close to cycling nirvana as you can get: Safe, scenic, and ocean-breezed.

Stella’s first harvest
Kosrae’s most photographed tree
Sipyen Falls

Kosrae is a gardener’s dream.  Rich volcanic soil plus generous rainfall equals instant success. Stella celebrated her first major harvest in October – and yes, it tasted even better knowing it practically grew itself.

We finally convinced friends to visit.  Julie and Hugh (from Michigan’s upper peninsula) bravely accepted our standing invitation to come see Kosrae. We loved showing them around, including the island’s famous Ka Forest, where everything feels ancient, lush, and quietly magical.

Rain is part of the deal here.  Kosrae gets rain about two days out of three, which means the waterfalls never take a day off. Sipyen Falls is a favorite – water spilling over lava flows into a perfect swimming hole below. Nature’s version of a spa.

Snorkeling is not optional.  You simply can’t come to Kosrae and skip the reef. This short video captures one of our snorkeling trips with Julie and Hugh – crystal-clear water, healthy coral, and fish that seem pleased you stopped by. Kosrae is fortunate to be largely spared from the coral bleaching affecting so many reefs elsewhere.

Some adventures require a little effort.  We took Julie and Hugh on a challenging hike up Tafunsak Gorge, a deep canyon carved through volcanic tuff by a rushing stream. There’s serious boulder hopping involved, but the reward is spectacular: Waterfalls bursting straight out of the canyon walls at the head of the gorge. Absolutely worth every slippery step.

And I’ll say it again — come visit.  If you have the time and the inclination, Kosrae would love to meet you. Yes, Micronesia is far from just about everywhere, and yes, airfare ain’t cheap. But Micronesia may also have the most welcoming visitor policy in the world. Click here to see just how easy it is to enter – and how hard it is to leave once you fall in love with the place.