Awesome Day In My Life

Today ranks as one of my favorite days. So many things went right. I am so pleased, so grateful, so astounded that a day that feels as good as this one is a part of my life after so many years of struggle. I don't know who or what to thank, but I am truly appreciative.

I got to sleep in instead of going to GIS/GPS. I take this course off campus at CSUMB, which is an old, run-down army barracks, so it's a trek to get there, it's sort of ugly, and I took a stressful exam on Tuesday in that class, so missing out for a day was like having a snow day. Instead, I used the time to catch up on some sleep, watch my kitties get themselves stuck behind furniture, and make a pair of earrings to go with my new red lipstick.

Here is parsnip, not stuck between furniture,

but very cute with her Seafood Watch sardine toy.

New earrings I made to go with that red, red lipstick

At noon, I attended a lecture at Hopkins Marine Station by Sylvia Earle. (She's like the female Jaques Cousteau, or a marine version of Jane Goodall, and definitely one of my heroes. She won the TED prize in 2009 for this lecture.) How inspiring to be in a small room full of marine conservation-motivated people, with a presentation given by one of our predecessors and paragons. *sigh*

Sylvia Earle!

The location didn't hurt. Hopkins Marine Station is on a gorgeous spit of land by the Monterey Bay Aquarium: seals and otters play in the water, and you have a lovely view of the bay. Ahh, the white sand beaches. When I went in, I took these pictures...



and when I came out, the wind was whipping up these frolicking and rolling waves. Energizing!


I headed home where I had an interview with the World Wildlife Fund for a possible internship position this summer in DC with the Aquaculture team (....um, dream job for me!!!...) which went well, I think (*fingers crossed*).

I walked down to school where I had an interesting discussion in my Spanish class about how Cuba is one of the top environmentally friendly countries (amongst the hispano/latino countries). I think my Spanish is improving--little things that I couldn't be bothered with because I was concentrating so hard on getting my main ideas across are now on my plate to correct and remember. Then I had my economics and the environment course which I really love. Thinking about things from an economic perspective is a new way of thinking for me. It's challenging and interesting. My professor shoots straight and has us read super relevant, intelligent articles.

I met with the Student Sustainability Council about our hopes to 'green' the merchandise available on campus. Walked to the grocery, talked on the phone with my dad and my sister, came home and made dinner. Then had a skype date with a woman who was directed to speak with me by Mark Silberstein, the director of Elkhorn Slough. She, like me, was inspired by Dan Barber's TED talk about Veta la Palma, the multi-trophic, ecologically-based aquaculture farm in the South of Spain. She's visiting Veta la Palma next week, and wanted to know what questions I would ask if I were visiting. I'm sort of in awe/shock that when someone in the area is interested in aquaculture, a noted ecologist would forward them to me. I'm still just a student!

The last joy of the day was ichatting with our great friends Phil and Tara whom we miss very much. We both opened bottles of sparkling wine (faux champagne) to celebrate the goodness that this sort of day encompasses in our lives.