“A friend told me that if it’s your calling, it will keep calling, and fishing is one thing that keeps calling to me,” Palomo says. 

Getting Hooked

Palomo’s interest in fishing developed from two places—her diet and her dad. 

Whether it was her home-fried mafuti, a barbecued tataga' at the fiesta table, or mañahak prepared kelaguen-style, fish was nourishment, lifestyle, and culture all mixed together with a bit of lemon and saltwater. Unsurprisingly, it is Palomo’s favorite food.

The frequent exposure to fish was also thanks to Palomo’s dad, who was a fisherman. Jokingly describing him as “a manly man cursed with all daughters,” Palomo recalls following him on trips with her sisters. Sometimes, they would use fishing rods; other times, their dad would tekken, a type of traditional CHamoru net fishing, and the girls would help by splashing the water to drive fish into the net.  

But their catch didn’t always make it home. 

“We were little then, so when my dad wasn’t looking, my younger sister and I would let some fish go, like, ‘Be free.’ And, of course, he'd be pissed. He would say, ‘Aiii, these girls,’” Palomo laughs.  

Determined to Learn

Despite fishing being a prominent part of her early life, Palomo’s decision to better understand and hone her skills came when she got older. It was also after meeting her boyfriend Kyle that she began actively learning and trying out other ways of fishing. 

Kyle’s family were strongly bonded through fishing. They used a different style called chenchulu, a circular net technique that was new to Palomo. They spearfished. They shared their knowledge openly and joyfully. 

Palomo began learning the tides and the seasons, the differences in fishing locations around the island and the subtle clues in the sand that reveal a fish’s hiding place. Kyle’s grandfather taught her how to catch an octopus and kill it with her hands. The women in the family, who were just as avid fishers as the men, were encouraging and inspired Palomo even more.
“It was just so beautiful to see how their family gathered to go fishing together. It was everyone's favorite thing to do,” Palomo says.

An Intentional Journey

With Kyle, fishing became an intentional journey for Palomo. They watched videos and asked relatives for advice. Neither knew how to throw a talåya, so they learned together, going to the beach on their days off and refining their technique. They remain committed students, so much so that this year, Palomo was slated to represent Guam in the net throwing event at the Indigenous Games in Taiwan.  

As part of her journey, Palomo has also made it a point to share her passion for fishing, heritage, and family with others, particularly the younger generation, through another calling in her life: writing.

Palomo has an upcoming children’s book called The Great Peskadot, which is about a little girl who goes on her first fishing trip with her grandfather. In her role at UOG Press, Palomo is leading a project to create place-based textbooks for GDOE elementary students, and through her experiences in the water, she understands how important it is for kids to see themselves and their cultures represented in what they are learning in the classroom. 

“The goal is to help students care about the world and care for it, but how can you care for anything if you don't care for yourself?” she says. “Working on this project and learning more about our history, our island makes me so proud. So, these things that don’t seem so significant, like fishing, I'm so proud of.”

Carry Forward

Even with several years of experience now under her belt, Palomo never claims to be a fishing expert, as there is always more to learn. Among the lessons so far are patience, self-control, and humility.

“Nothing will humble you more than wanting something so bad, but you're not going to always get it. And when you do get it, be grateful. A living thing literally dies so that you’re able to feed yourself,” she shares.

Looking ahead, Palomo has even more to be grateful for as she and Kyle, who is now her husband, are expecting their first child. They are excited to pass on their love of fishing but hope that their future son or daughter pursues other passions, too. “You don't have to be in a box. You don't have to just do one thing. You know what makes you, you, and what makes you happy, so just do it.”

For Palomo, that choice has been clear: To learn. To write. To fish. To carry forward what keeps calling.