I Remember

It’s hard for me to believe that seven years ago today I was a sophomore in high school seeing the nation as I knew it about to change forever. It’s almost more difficult to believe that as Michael enters his second class today, he will be in the exact same position I was when the planes crashed into the towers just after 9 AM. Same grade. Same age. Different times.

I was watching a TV show which relived the events of September 11, 2001 and couldn’t help but cry over the event itself and our stupidity today. I remember when we all came together not as Democrats or Republicans; blacks or whites; rich or poor; young or old; but we came together as Americans. Now we sit around our televisions arguing over Sarah Palin’s updo, where she gets her glasses from, and her daughter’s pregnancy. Are these the issues that will impact our future? How is it that nobody asks why Obama doesn’t stay home to “tend to the children?” How come nobody discusses Obama’s style? How come nobody dissects his family and family values? I’m appalled by the masses of people who make a decision for our next leader this fall and who seem to have forgotten the real issues in favor of the Jamie-Lynn Spears-like gossip. I, quite frankly, am happy that Palin supported her daughter in such a difficult decision. Regardless of my personal views on abortion, the important issue here is that Palin is pro-life and did NOT encourage her daughter to have an abortion, which would have been easy. She stuck to her values.

We say that women are equal, but are they? Would this same debate be centered around a man? I doubt it. Perhaps I’m so turned off by the issue because I come from a family of strong, intelligent women and get pissed off when women are still looked at in these ridiculous gender roles from the early 19th century. I cannot believe that she’s being criticized for being a real mother with a real family who has real issues. I think it’s refreshing to see a “not so perfect” American family and a woman who can admit that she’s not perfect, but is motivated and has a vision to make our country a better place. This has gone beyond politics and has become the cover of US Weekly or Star magazines. Hillary was also looked down upon for being “emotional” and unable to handle typical “boys club issues.” How are females around the country not enraged by this? Putting the politics aside, this is an issue of how we see women and it is discouraging us from taking positions of power and supporting our beliefs.

I love my country. I love that I can go to school, practice my religious beliefs, walk the streets without covering my face, and talk about how I feel. However, I fear we will not remember September 11. I fear we will forget what makes our nation great in exchange for the negatives. I fear women will always be viewed as unwelcome in political circles. I fear we will forget what’s at stake. Times are changing. The world is becoming a smaller place. Politics are becoming too “political.” It’s time we take back our country, not from a particular political party, but from an absent-minded and apathetic public. My degree is in Public Relations, which is a vital part of the media. I’m sad that the issues are so sensationalized by the media that we don’t even know what we’re debating anymore. The more I learn about the political system, the more disgusted and enraged I become. Will we ever have another Abraham Lincoln? I doubt it. I’m becoming more and more interested in the political arena with ambitions to change stereotypes and support the country I love so much. There are real issues to be tackled: international relations, energy supplies, environmental concerns, insurance companies, failing schools, and a public who doesn’t feel responsible for its actions. Where are the young people concerned for their future? Their children’s future?

On September 11, 2001, I learned nothing is guaranteed. I learned the world is not the place of my grandparents’ youths. I learned I cannot disagree with the way our country is run if I do nothing to work to change it. I learned the power of one. One person, no matter how small, can make a difference for great good or great evil. One person can make a difference in the life of a child, a school, the environment, a person in need, and maybe even a group of whales swimming around in Puget Sound. I want to go to law school not simply because I want the lifestyle or the career. I want to go to law school because I cannot simply sit back and wait for a difference. I want to be the change I wish to see in the world. I want look to a better future for myself, my family, my country, and my world. The law is about protecting what we see as important. I believe some things are worth protecting and fighting for. I’m ready to fight for what I believe in. I hope my peers and Mikie’s peers are ready to take responsibility for our future and fight for a better America. I hope whoever is elected this November feels the same.

God gave us good brains! It’s time to start using them!

McCain/Palin ‘08

Family Ties

"Well all these times, they come and go. Alone, they don't seem so long. Over 22 years have gone by. We can't rewind. We're locked in time. But your still mine. Do you remember?" ~ Adaptation of Jack Johnson's Do You Remember

It’s been hard adjusting to the changes on the island this past week. Adam left to go to Scotland and things are beginning to slow down. The Residents haven’t been seen for a few days and the evenings are cold. Football season’s started back up and I’m missing the Lakers. We’ve had great encounters with Transient orcas and even better than that, mom and grandma and grandpa came to visit me.

I feel blessed to say that I’m proud of my family. I’m learning more and more that not all people can say that. Not only are we all financially successful, but more importantly, we are pretty relationally successful. How many people my age can say nobody in their extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, and parents) has gone through a divorce? How many people in general can say that their best friends are members of their family?

I was especially happy to share the orcas with my mom. I know it’s been difficult for her to adjust to this separation because it’s been difficult for me. I guess I’m more like my mom than I admit. This is a good thing because my mom is one of the strongest women I know. She hasn’t run a corporation. She hasn’t developed a cure for a disease. She hasn’t run for public office. However, she’s my hero because she’s saved me one minor tragedy at a time. From break-ups to bad professors, my mom has been there. She moved far from her family, which I know is still difficult for her, and still puts her own needs aside for other people. I don’t think this is a sign of weakness, but instead a sign of utmost strength and love. If politicians were more like my mom, things would get done and the world would be a better place. If politicians were more like my grandma, there’d probably be the best homemade cookies at every meeting or conference, the Democrats would take back the White House… and there'd be no such thing as Republicans. LOL!

We really had a great, although short, time together. We hung out on the island and saw orcas, the lighthouse, and went to dinner in Roche Harbor. (And of course we watched the Democratic National Convention… and we didn’t spare the debates. Although we disagree on some issues, I’m glad my grandparents are still active in political issues and really care about this nation.) My roommate Sarah heard some of our debates and said, “Your grandma is a little firecracker! Now I know where you get it from!” I’m honored when people say I’m like my mom or my grandma. They’ve been the strongest women in my life and I hope my actions make them as proud of me as their actions make me proud of them. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m pretty lucky. No… I guess I’m not lucky. I’m pretty blessed.

I enjoyed going off the island (first time since June) and seeing Pike’s Market, Ballard Locks, and of course going shopping with my family. There’s something about spending money that’s good for the soul! LOL! I also had a great time seeing Mama Mia. The movie was really cute and in ways had some parallels to our family, without the multiple father thing and the whole wedding deal… and of course the spicy topless Greek guy. I’m still glad we didn’t go to the sing-a-long because everyone else in the theatre would have bought a ticket to the grandma and mom show. The trip was great and now I’m debating going to Greece instead of Hawaii. Just kidding, but seriously…

I wish we could’ve had more time together… saying goodbye is always tough. But I guess goodbye isn’t too tough when the people you love are just a phone call away.

Long time no write

Hey guys! It’s been a while since I’ve blogged… I’ve been super busy working doubles at SJS and haven’t had much time to get online. But there’s a lot to cover because a lot has happened since the last time I wrote. Since my last entry Travis came to visit, Jen and family went on a whale watch, I turned 22, I helped out on Jonathan Stern’s Minke Project, Adam got accepted to Aberdeen for grad school, I started a photo book about my summer, and I figured out what I want to do this winter.

Travis’s visit was bittersweet. We had a great time and even took a trip to Victoria, B.C. We went to the Butchart Gardens, the Royal British Colombia Museum, whale watching, kayaking, rode mopeds around the island and celebrated my birthday together. It was nice to have him around, but hard at the same time because I could feel a difference. "Finding yourself" can be a frightening event because you may find a part of yourself you never realized existed. I'd played my whale fascination off as a passing fad, but when I came here I realized it was truly a passion. I want to explore this new found passion, but this requires I be selfish. It's hard to be selfish when you care about someone and don't want to hurt them. I talked to Travis and let him know where my life was taking me and how it was in a different direction than his. He understood and backed my decision to follow my dreams. We decided to stay in touch as friends and perhaps work something out in the future, after some personal growth on both parts. "Growing up is never easy. You hold on to things that were. You wonder what's to come. But that night I think we knew it was time to let go of what had been, and look ahead to what would be. New days. Days to come. The thing is, we didn't have to hate each other for getting older... we had to forgive ourselves for growing up." ~ The Wonder Years.

It was nice to have Jen, Mitch, and Jo come visit. Their timing was perfect because Trav had just left and I was pretty bummed about the situation. It was nice to have family around to help me take my mind off things. They seemed to have a good time and I’m glad they got a chance to experience something that’s so important to me.

My 22nd birthday was fun, but different. I’m so used to celebrating with family; it was weird to not have them around. Travis and my coworkers made me cakes and we had a bonfire on Jackson Beach. The celebration was pretty low key ~ very island-like. Growing up is pretty strange. Sometimes I find myself trapped between the me of five years ago and the me of five years from now. I still feel like a kid sometimes, but then many of the decisions I’ve had to make seem so grown-up. It’s strange to think the first time I came out here was fourteen years ago… it doesn’t feel that far away.

I was really excited to help out with Jonathan Stern and his Minke Project. He’s really low key compared to the other research work I’ve done. His research flag is probably the best part. Every research vessel must have a yellow flag on the boat with the permit number for everyone to see. Jon’s flag is a yellow towel with the number written on it with magic marker. It’s attached to a tiki torch with binder ties and the torch has a twizler hanging out the top to look like a flame. As if that’s not enough, he has a rubber chicken named Henrietta hanging from the flag as well! The Minkes are quite a bit different than the orcas and often get overlooked because they aren’t quite as charismatic. However, they’re still really cool. There are around twelve individual Minkes that frequent this area. Jon names them all: Johnny Rotten, Nick Jagger (Nick because it has a nick in its fin), Marilyn (after Marilyn Monroe), Bubble Back, and Ellie. His study seems so much more relaxed because less drama surrounds the Minkes in comparison with the orcas. I look forward to staying in touch with him and helping out again.

For more bittersweet news, Adam got accepted to Aberdeen in Scotland for grad school. This school is supposed to be pretty great for marine studies and allows students to earn a Masters in just one year… so it’s a very tough program. Adam is leaving in a few weeks for Scotland and although I’m excited for him, I’m really going to miss my best friend on the island. Adam taught me a lot about the orcas and helped me meet some pretty key people in the field. I’m going to miss our conversations and dorca talk. He really helped me realize my passion for marine mammals and I hope we stay in touch.

I started a photobook on shutterfly.com about my summer experiences. It allows me to insert my own photos and write entries about them. It should be ready in October because I want to include some final thoughts as well as photos from when my mom, grandma, and grandpa visit over Labor Day. If any of you are interested in getting a copy of the book just let me know! I’m really excited about it and look forward to seeing the final product.

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately about where I see myself over the next few years. I’ve always been a list maker and planner (I guess I got that from my mom) and really needed a blueprint for this next year. I enjoy some level of spontaneity, but I also like to have a direction in my life. My last day of work in October 5. I’m going to pack my stuff and leave for L.A. on October 7, hopefully stopping in Vancouver along the way south. I decided not to visit the Northern Residents this year because there won’t be a study going on for me to help with and I don’t want to go up there to simply watch whales, I want to help with something. Instead, I decided to apply for a job in Hawaii as a naturalist on a Humpback Whale Watch boat. Apparently a naturalist for another company around here did it last winter and loved it. The company she worked for provided and house and a group vehicle for its employees and paid decent (enough to pay for the rent and save money). This season lasts from December through April and would be a cool way to explore while staying in the country and having sweet weather to boot! I’ll keep you all posted on how this job search goes. In the meantime, I will be finishing up my personal statement for law school and applying to schools in L.A., Idaho, and Colorado. I’m hoping to take the two months prior to Hawaii, cross your fingers, to meet with financial aid departments at local law schools and see what my scholarship opportunities could be as well as sit in on some classes. I hope this will help me make my decision when I find out where I get in. Once I find out what schools accept me, I will most likely defer one year so I could come back to San Juan Island, work a few days a week for San Juan Safaris, and help out on research boats more often. Then, I would head up to help with research on the Northern Residents next September before heading back to L.A. for a “real job” with my degree. I would want to work at a P.R. firm for 10 months before school starts to save more money and then buckle down for law school. Now, this is a rough outline and open to changes, but this is where I see myself and I really feel like taking the time to explore interests will only help my conviction to go to law school. I’m learning how fragile our environment and resources are and I want to do something to protect them. The law is about protecting what we consider important: our lives, our freedom of speech, our property, our descendants, and even a group of whales swimming around in Puget Sound.

I’m sad the summer is almost over, but I’m looking forward to the exciting opportunities just around the corner.

People Watching

Below: J30 (Riptide), the juvenile male who came close to our boat and looked at us. Photo by Adam U.

Hey everybody. I just wanted to tell you all about my AMAZING orca encounter a few days ago. I'm going to submit the following story to Whale Tales, a locally written book by a hometown naturalist. We'll see if he's making another edition... this may be published. Let me know what you think about how it's written (for people who've never met me). Here goes:

People Watching

Encounter Start Time: 13:50
Location Start: 48º25.10 x 122º59.68
Encounter End Time: 15:20
Location End: 48º25.05 x 122º58.82
Animals viewed: J14, J30, J37, J40, J8, K20, & K38

Sometimes I wonder if the whales are just as interested in us as we are in them. I happen to think some animals are meant to have a connection with us: dogs, horses, cats, and dolphins. Stories of dolphins and whales interacting with people have always intrigued me. Those tales of overwhelming experiences drew me to the orcas as a child. I’ve been visiting the Southern Resident Orcas since I was eight years old (fourteen years ago) and never had an experience like I did in the summer of 2008.

I was working as a naturalist for San Juan Safaris on a whale watch boat on July 8, 2008. We took a full boat out on an afternoon trip to Salmon Bank, just south of San Juan Island, WA. When we arrived on scene, the orcas appeared to be swimming lazily about in their matrilineal groups. It appeared a family of orcas was approaching our stern so I alerted the captain to turn off the engine and let them pass by. However, these animals had a different plan. They sauntered over to our boat as if they knew us, and hovered in the water just a few feet off our bow. Our guests were so thrilled with the close encounter that they began to hoot and holler. This noise seemed to intrigue the acoustically sensitive animals and the mother and her teenage son remained logging at the surface while her two younger daughters played off the stern. Meanwhile, another female poked her head out of the water multiple times to get a better look at us.

They turned out to be the J14s: a mother (Samish) and her calves (Riptide, Hy’shqa, and Suttles) with an older female, J8 (Speiden). I was working on learning how to identify individual whales, and their close encounter allowed me to know who we were looking at with certainty. I was trying to maintain my cool and give off a collected and scientific vibe, but it was impossible to contain my excitement. They seemed to be just as fascinated by us as we were by them! They stayed with us for ten minutes, drifting near our boat and listening to our excited chatter. I desperately wanted to give them something, a gift, like a peace offering. I knew the animals seem to enjoy sounds, and I wanted to call to them and see their responses. Before I could offer my acoustic gift, Samish dove under the boat and surfaced minutes later carrying a salmon in her mouth! She glided along the portside of the boat, carrying the salmon just below the surface so we all could see it. Was this her gift to us? Was she showing off? Questions were racing through my mind as I looked for words to explain the moment to our guests. However, words couldn’t describe what we were seeing. A collective hush filled the boat as we looked on in pure awe. The animals were people watching.

Looking back on the experience, I don’t think I will ever witness something so breathtaking and moving. It pains me to think about their endangered status and the possibility future generations may not have a chance to see what I did that day. Those few minutes the whales chose to be with us will stick in my mind like smoke clings to a jacket. I hope moments like these will inspire people to believe some things are worth protecting… these orcas are worth protecting.

Megan Young, Naturalist

***I'm still interested in going to Northern Vancouver Island to look at the Northern Residents. Here's a whale watch company that Adam knows up there. Maybe we'll go out with them:

http://www.stubbs-island.com/

Family Time

Below: Me in the car looking out at a fox kit (middle of photo in long grass) at South Beach, San Juan Island.Photos below of whales were taken by Adam and the fox kit by me. The photos are of (left to right): J39 ~ Mako the psycho whale; a curious little black fox kit who loved it when I would make kissing noises; Dot the humpback whale; J42 surfacing next to our poop scoop boat; J28 (front) with mom J17 (behind); J1 tail slap with J28 in the back and J14 with calf J40 in front; me playing with Cavaliers on South Beach; T14 Transient Orca.

Sorry that I haven't blogged in a while, I've been really busy working and hanging out with friends in my spare time... which I don't really have much of. We've moved to double shifts at work because the season is picking up and we're running evening trips now along with the regular 1pm trips.

Visiting family was great. It was especially cool to meet family that I've never seen before, but only heard of. Grandma and Grandpa's party was a total success! It was nice to share in that special milestone with them (although I'm happy I didn't have to sing). It was good to see my immediate family again. Unfortunately, my mom was a bit more tan than me... a first time EVER! And I got a little burned... which wasn't as bad as I expected, but the peeling is really annoying. All the cousins are growing up so fast, it seems like yesterday that Teags was just a baby and now she's dancing around like a wild woman and talking about cute boys ~ totally makes me feel really old. I'm happy I was able to take a break from work and spend some quality time with family.

Since I've been back from Boise I've had more encounters with Ks and Ls, but Js remain my favorite. I've had the best encounters with them and I'm decent at identifying individuals from that family group. My favorite family unit in J Pod are the J16s (Slick and her sons Mike and Keet and daughters Alki and J42. I decided, after many people said that Marley was too manly for J42 to submit the names Amira and Bella for her. Amira means princess in Arabic and Bella beautiful in Italian. She needed a pretty name, so Marley was submitted for a little L Pod boy, L110. We'll see how that goes when they take the vote end of July.) J28 is still my favorite, although I haven't seen her much lately. I'm still crossing my fingers for a fall baby. She seems to hang out with L57, a mature bull from L Pod, quite frequently... but Adam wants her to have a kid with L73 because, "He has a better look." I've never met someone more picky when it comes to "whale looks" than Adam. He says it's like how I'm picky with the way horses look... I guess he got me there. I really don't care who the "baby daddy" is as long as she has a kid... funny how it's ok to say that about a 15 year old whale and yet it's frightening to talk about with people. hahaha.

I would still love to head north at the end of the summer to see the Northern Resident Killer Whales. They live around Johnstone Strait on the east side of Vancouver Island. I really want to see the A5s because they were the animals I read a lot about in my books and it'd be nice to actually see their descendants. Adam has some friends who work with the NRKWs and he thinks I might get to meet them if I head up there. This area is a bit more rugged... so I guess I'll have to buck up and get used to camping if I want to take a trip up there. I guess it's really pretty though and it'd be a once in a lifetime thing to do. I also plan on meeting up with the man who does Minke Whale research sometime this month over coffee. I've submitted multiple sightings to his organization and he said he'd like to meet me. This might be a cool opportunity to help out with some Minke research and I'd love to do it... anything to be on the water. There are also places where they study Dwarf Minkes and actually go scuba diving and snorkeling with them... that would also be awesome (and don't worry, Minkes don't have teeth).

I have today and tomorrow off so hopefully I'll end up working on the poop scoop boat again. I enjoy helping with research as well as getting a closer look at the animals, which is really helping my ID skills (or lack thereof). There are a few whales that I'm really good at like J1, 2, 26, 27, 28, 17, 16, 42, 19, 8, and 39. I also am learning Ls and Ks thanks to Adam's crash course in photo ID. He has a bunch of photos of animals' dorsals and saddles and he put them in a folder for me to try and ID. I'm not at 100%, but I'm learning what to look for and associations so that makes it easier to try. My goal is to ID all adult males by the end of the summer as well as become proficient with J Pod animals... hopefully this is reasonable.

I miss everyone and I'm glad I got to spend time with you all and talk about "the good ol' days." I'm keeping notes of my time here and maybe one day I'll compile them into some sort of memoir. Take care and have a happy Fourth of July!

Road Block

Below: J1 taken from the research boat I was helping on. The two paintings below are called Breach for the Sky and A New Hope. The one of the breaching whale, Breach for the Sky, was a gift for my new roomie Sarah. The one of the orca and calf is of J28 and my hope for a new calf.

Everyone told me when I moved out here that it would be a perfect opportunity to “find myself.” I thought this would be exciting, but I never imagined it to be somewhat scary. I guess it’s easy to feel comfortable when your life doesn’t present you with too many forks in the road. It’s easy to know what you want and to feel motivated when the people around you seem complacent. I came out here so sure of myself and now I feel more confused than ever. I’ve spent time working on the research boat and getting close to the whales and it reminds me of my childhood. I was so awestruck by the whales and the ocean and I’m rediscovering the part of myself that I thought I cut ties from years ago. Talking with the people who have dedicated their lives to orca field studies is like reuniting with the curious and adventurous side of myself and I must admit I’m finding that career to be extremely attractive. However, their lifestyles are not so attractive. They move around from couch to couch, town to town, and state to state. I’m the type of person that likes to remain grounded and have a place to call my own. I also want to end up being close to family, which would prove difficult if I was moving around all the time. I know I would love the work, but I would have to sacrifice my ideal lifestyle to enjoy my ideal job. I find myself being pulled in two different directions and I really don’t know which way I’m heading. This whole “finding myself” thing is not at all what I anticipated. I thought I would have some epiphany that would confirm everything I’ve planned on… but I guess I’m learning that not everything follows the plan you have for yourself. I just never expected to enjoy working with the animals as much as I do. My favorite days out here have been working on a boat that scoops up whale poop for goodness sake! I really don’t care what I’m doing as long as I’m learning something new about the animals I’ve been fascinated with since I was a child. It’s funny seeing the individuals that I remember seeing on my first trip out here. I love seeing them growing up and seeing new babies being born. I’m starting to recognize individuals faster and I’m learning more about their personalities.

I went out on the poop scoop boat for the second time yesterday and had a pretty awesome encounter with J33, Keet. J33 is a twelve year old male who is just beginning to sprout the tall dorsal fin that distinguishes mature male from female. We were following him in his footprints, the calm water left behind after they pump their flukes, looking for fecal material or scales left behind from a salmon kill. We were looking in front of the bow in hopes of seeing his next surfacing when he popped up with a loud whoosh about two feet away from me. This took us all completely by surprise and, being that we were all girls, we definitely let out some surprised screams. Orcas are sensitive to sound and appear to enjoy human vocalizations. I think he was pretty intrigued by our shouts and laughter and he circled the boat on his side about four feet from the surface as if to investigate our strange noises. I could literally look straight down in the water and see the white of his eye patch. I couldn’t help but wonder what Keet was thinking as he looked back up at me. I wanted to give him another sound to see how he’d respond, but I felt it was more important to suppress my newbie excitement and maintain some degree of professionalism. He stayed with us for a little while until his curiosity was satisfied and then took off to meet back up with his mom and little sister, J42. I have a name suggestion for J42, who will receive a name at the end of the summer, and I’d like to call her Marley. She really pretty, with a nice open saddle patch, and I think she deserves a pretty name. Not to mention, I think Bob Marley music is a perfect soundtrack for the whales. Something about them has a way of bringing people together, just like Bob Marley’s music. His themes were of love and peace and getting people to come together through their love of music. Here, the whales promote many of the same emotions through their close family groups and fascinating underwater lives. I always knew I loved the whales and that they’d be a part of my life, I just didn’t know they’d have such a profound impact on me.

I’m not giving up on law school or anything like that, I’m just realizing that maybe I have more options than I initially thought. I’ve never questioned my goals and where I’m going in life, but I guess the best way to figure out who you are and where the heck you’re going is to stop and notice the forks in the road, even if one of the paths isn’t paved.

I leave for Boise on Tuesday and I hope that time with family and sharing stories will help me figure out what’s going on in my head. Is this normal???

Superpod!

"You have to leave the city of your comfort and go into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself."

~ Alan Alda ~

My past few whale encounters have been amazing, especially our June 3 trip! I saw my first superpod, which is when Js, Ks, and Ls all get together and hang out. It was so incredible to see so many animals swimming together. Everywhere I looked there were orcas! The sea was basically exploding with them. I can't really contain my excitement when I'm around the whales, it really reaffirms that I'm doing the right thing and I'm in the right place. There was even a new baby in the group, K42, who appears to belong to K14. The baby is so cute, little, and orange. haha. All baby orcas are orangeish yellow, which is believed to be like jaundice. (Pretty interesting.) I really love learning more about the orcas and hope to one day do some sort of marine research trip. It's really hard to figure out what I want because I love this type of work, the lifestyle is the only thing keeping me from doing something with the whales as a career. Many of the researchers I've met have a transient lifestyle and really don't spend too much time in one place. I like feeling grounded and having a place to call mine, but it'd be pretty incredible to travel the world learning about marine life. I'm a bit torn, but I still feel like becoming an attorney is my calling. However, I'm realizing now that maybe these animals could eventually become more than a hobby to me. I would like to help the researchers here if possible. I really want to see them from a research perspective as opposed to the tourist perspective. I like my job, but I want to learn more about them so I can be better equipped to teach people about them. I really don't care what they would have me do, as long as I can be a part of it! (Even if that means just hanging out at a computer and identifying individuals. I'm gonna work on possibly helping with research and I'll keep you posted with how that goes.

Our whole crew is here now: me, Jaclyn, Jackie, Ashley, and Sarah. I think we all compliment each other well and I look forward to making friends with similar interests as I have. I'm not used to being around people who understand what I'm passionate about and it's a nice change of pace to have people who get excited over the same things.

It won't be long until grandma and grandpa's anniversary and I can't wait to see everyone and meet family I've never seen. I really think I'm learning a lot about myself and look forward to sharing my personal discoveries with everyone! Until next time....