Williams-Mystic California Field Seminar

Arrived back on the East coast last night after an amazing class field trip exploring coastal California. We learned, saw, and did so much during our travels that it's daunting to try and recap it all in a blog post. In fact, I won't even try doing that. Let me just present some pictures...

Class time at Point Lobos. It was hard to concentrate on the lectures when there was so much to look at all around!

On the trail at Point Lobos.

My classmate Amy gets up close and personal with a pelican at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey. Our whale watch boat is in the background.

This was one very friendly pelican!

Tugboat ride in San Francisco Bay. I'm on the left, with classmates Alex and Gretchen.

Classmate (and housemate) Max gets a turn driving the Crowley tugboat through SF Bay.

looking out from the Bodega Marine Lab (BML), where we spent three days

View of BML from Horseshoe Cove, a high energy beach. We loved Horseshoe Cove because so many neat things washed up on the shore here (including gorgeous sea glass!), and because we often spotted harbor seals here.

Sea glass and an abalone shell

Williams-Mystic program director and marine ecologist Jim Carlton teaches the group about the various objects we picked up at Horseshoe Cove.

We did lots of driving in California... but it was mostly pleasant since we had views like this to look at.

Class time...

... and lunch time...

... at Salt Point State Park!

At the Armstrong Redwood forest, with Alex and Zara.

We got to sample fresh oysters

at the Tomales Bay Oyster Company

in Tomales Bay

Point Reyes

Over 300 steps to get down to the lighthouse! There was actually a sign warning that "strenuous activity" was required to get to the lighthouse and back. So true.

the Point Reyes lighthouse

Zara and I pose above the Point Reyes beach.

Concluding Summer

Today is move-in day at Williams-Mystic - where I'll be studying for a semester instead of attending Fall Term at Dartmouth - and that means summer break is over. The last few months seem to have gone by so quickly, and this summer as a whole felt really busy, even though I don't think I accomplished very much.
Highlights:

• Mooseman: my first Olympic-distance triathlon, at beautiful Newfound Lake in NH in early June. Was a bit nervous about the biking section, but it went very well and I had a blast. 
• "UofIN," or "University of Insulindependence": leadership training for Insulindependence captains at the organization's headquarters in San Diego, CA during the last week of June. Included three days of backpacking in Yosemite National Park. 
• Mother-daughter road trip: Mom and I drove up and down the California coast for a couple days after UofIN. We stayed at the amazing Treebones Resort in Big Sur and went sea kayaking.
• CWD: I volunteered with Insulindependence at the Children With Diabetes Friends for Life Conference in Orlando, FL during the second week of July. It was my third time attending this major annual gathering for families and health care professionals dealing with Type 1 diabetes. 
• A Night of INspiration: I hosted a fundraising dinner for Insulindependence in Bethesda, MD in late July. The event was a success in my eyes - we had a great turnout, a fun time, good food,  and a very positive response to the Insulindependence mission and vision, especially with the accompanying screening of the Triabetes documentary. 
• New Hampshire: first to Hanover to get a taste of Sophomore Summer, then to the coast for beach time, family time, and (best of all) whale watching!

And now I'm settling in to my new home for the rest of 2011 - Mystic, CT. It is a cute town that is rich in maritime history and tradition, not to mention great ice cream shops. More about Mystic in future posts...