Just Like a Child

My parents remind me from time to time when they tell stories about me that when I was a kid, unless something was disgusting or dangerous I didn’t want to have anything to do with it. I now look at my life in 2011. I like traveling to remote parts of the world, going scuba diving as much as I can, wrangling sharks for an internship in my spare time, and I would jump at the opportunity to go bungee jumping or sky diving. I’ve talked before about my help with shark research so I won’t go into detail about it. After spending several weeks now doing dolphin research in Belize, I can say I’m not cut out for it. It involves sitting on a boat watching the water for hours waiting for a fin to pop up now and again. Sure they are interesting creatures but the field work is frankly boring. Here at the research station we are staying in now, there is a very well-known crocodile researcher conducting some studies and I was able to take a few kids on the boat with him tonight. Here’s a glimpse at how the night went:

We left the field station around 5:45pm, immediately after returning from a dolphin survey. The small boat zipped us around a couple cayes for about 20 minutes until we set anchor. Riding through the area involves seeing lush mangrove populations in all directions. The cayes that make up Turneffe Atoll create a playground of coral, seagrass, and red mangroves, all set along crystal clear and turquoise water. Dinner was served on board in front of the setting sun while Tom explained the guidelines for spotting, catching, handling, measuring, and studying crocodiles. Before we knew it, dinner was packed away, the stars were glimmering, and the crocodile hunting began. Crocs are spotted with a very high power handheld spotlight which allows us to see their reflective eyes. Right off the bat we saw some eyes not 100 yards from where we started. Tom handed me the light, prepared the snare, and hopped in the shallow water at the edge of the mangroves. Unfortunately the crocodile had weaseled its way deep into the root system of the mangroves and was thus too difficult to catch. We saw a few more and were unable to catch any. As we were starting to wonder whether or not we would catch one, Tom brought us to the edge of some mangroves, hopped off the boat with the snare as I spotted with the bright light, and after a tense 5 minutes of silent maneuvering through the prop roots, the croc was caught. She was brought on board, measured, tagged, and used as a hands-on learning opportunity for everyone uneducated about crocodile biology and behavior. After being released, the boat took us all along the calm water under a beautiful bright starry sky punctuated by constant yellow and orange flashes of distant heat lightning that added to the exciting but gorgeous atmosphere of the night. After one more sighting, we all made our way back tired to the field station where we had plans to retire for the evening which I have now broken by writing this update. True to form, and with no surprise to my childhood self, the crocodile catching has been one of the biggest highlights of Belize for me and I didn’t even get into the water with them.

Me with a small/medium-sized croc

As I reflect on my time here in Belize, I look forward to many things right now: having time off, being back in North Carolina, visiting my “second home” and family in Connecticut, the prospect of work in Miami, reconnecting with friends in Miami, being back in a Christian community, and hopefully continuing my shark research.

You Just Gotta Belize

I'm sorry I can't say anything about the trip or the students due to legalities because I really have a lot to say that was not covered in the trip updates written by the students.

Belize is nice. Diving here is not like in the Pacific or the Red Sea but the country has a lot going for it. My favorite thing about it is the accessibility of all the cayes (islands) along the coast. Every caye has a different vibe and you need to see several to get a real idea of what Belize is all about.

A stroke of good fortune has come my way over the course of today however. The potential job at RSMAS that involves diving is very much within my grasp. If a few more things fall into place over the next month in Miami, then I may have a real-life job! I don't want to speak too soon so please don't spread the word yet. It's just been on my mind so much that I have to put it into writing.

In the Works

I've written two posts but they're on my laptop. The backpackers lodge has wireless but it doesn't seem to work. Nar. Therefore I am at an internet cafe and don't have the posts with me. I'll have them up sooner or later though! :)

I'm on Caye Caulker and seriously loving it. The people here are fantastic. Not much of a beach island, but the people make it what it is - amazing. Not to mention there are bounties of coconuts for the taking. :D

The kids start coming on the 21st. After that, internet will be severely restricted for 3 weeks. Stay tuned until then!

Start checking http://www.gobroadreach.com/trip-updates/?trip=DS11 for updates over the next 3/3+ weeks. Updates will start to appear very soon and will be posted daily.

[UPDATE 22 JUNE 2011]: The two posts are now up and can be found post-dated for the 18th. The trip updates are now being posted (that's the site to which the hyperlink above will direct you). Due to legalities, I will not be able to say much about the trip, so don't expect many updates until early August. I might be able to post a few but not a ton. Check up on me through the link above and be ready for regular posts again come August! :)

Safe and Sound

I made it to Belize. The people here are very genuinely friendly here but lack the vigor that the Egyptians possessed. They do not need your whole life story but if you strike up a conversation, they are very willing and eager to talk. The people here are very down to earth and even during the hour spent in Belize City, I never once felt threatened. Sure the cityscape is much different than what we know in America but that’s to be expected. Analyzing snapshots of the city, you might think it to be a dangerous and sketchy place, but start talking to a few Belizeans and your impression will immediately change.

I underestimated my co-lead: during the past two weeks here, she has made great friends with locals and travelers, been offered trips through the jungle (if our day off was 3 days off, that’s where we would be), and really gotten to know a few areas around the region very well. She is full of great ideas and any doubts that I had are dwindling away. Oh, and she also had the credit card I was missing the night before so no need to worry about that anymore. This summer is going to be awesome.

The island I’m currently on brings sudden and frequent flashbacks to specific moments in both the Philippines and especially Indonesia. I’m on a small island with loads of backpackers, tours are advertized at little huts, there is no pavement, people primarily walk or bike, there is only one ATM on the entire island, etc. However, though there are similarities, Belize is not the same as its Southeast Asian cousins. I can only speak for a little bit of Belize City and a little bit more for Caye Caulker. I’ll have much more about the country later but as for now know that life is awesome and I’m finally about to get some sleep. Goodnight everyone!

Up, Up, and Away

This is going to me my last or one of my last updates in a while. I’m writing this in the plane from Charlotte to Houston after narrowly avoiding (or at least minimizing) some serious concerns. It started last night when I had a massive list to complete (complete academic registration, check health insurance, sort out birthday gifts, book a flight, finalize packing, etc). As I was double checking the finances, I discovered that the credit card was missing. I tore apart my bags and searched them to no avail. It was about 11:40 and I debated for a solid 5 minutes whether or not to call the “travel phone” which is always with someone 24 hours a day. Ultimately I decided it was better they know sooner than later and I ended up calling much to the dismay of a particularly sleepy office staff. She assured me that everything would be fine and made me feel a bit better though still overall I felt awful for calling. Not only did I disturb her so late at night, but I have already started the trip on a shaky foot. In retrospect, I could have called from Houston but I was running on about 3-4 hours of sleep from the night before and trying to deal with losing a credit card so give me a break.

Anyway, I finished all that I could do last night, got a 2 hour nap, then made it to the airport on time without any problems. Within two minutes of walking through the doors however, I was informed that my flight was delayed and I wouldn’t arrive in Houston until after my flight was scheduled to leave for Belize. Luckily they had another flight to Belize leaving an hour or two later and booked me on it. All was well until we had to deal with the congestion from several delayed flights and didn’t get out until 45 minutes after the re-scheduled departure. The captain said that we would be arriving at 10:30 (thus missing my 10:20 departure) and most of the flight was spent telling myself (and fully believing) that everything would be perfectly fine even if I didn’t get to Belize for another day. It turned out that the captain had neglected to account for the change in time zone giving me another hour. I’ll now have 15 minutes to get off the plane and find my gate before boarding starts. If that’s not enough good news, I’ll be arriving in Belize right about the time another group comes in with a friend of mine so I’ll most likely be able to see them.

Here’s to a fantastic summer - setbacks, delays, problems and all. You can never eliminate every obstacle but you can decide what will be the best way around them.

Packing, Prepping, and Not Sleeping Well

I don't like to admit it because I see it as a weakness, but it's undeniable: when I spend a day packing for a big trip, I can't fall asleep when I want to. Granted, today I took a 20 minute nap that inadvertently turned into an hour. However, tomorrow is not the day I leave. I packed everything for Belize because I drive from SC to Charlotte tomorrow, spend the night with my newlywed sister, then leave for the airport around 3:30am the next morning. In hopes of setting myself up for sleep tomorrow night, I've set my alarm for 6:30 tomorrow which is about 4 and a half hours away. Fantastic.
This summer is going to be amazing I've decided. The kids are going to have a great time, everyone will enjoy the diving, we will all learn about dolphins, and will make great friends along the way. Here's to a great summer!

Together Again

We don't choose our families. We all know and hopefully understand this concept, with the exception of course of marrying into a family but that's not what I'm getting at.

We don't choose our families but we're are bound by humanity to respect and love them. In every culture I've seen, family is of great importance. There are of course those who don't fit with this generalization but my understanding is that regardless of who your family is or what they've done, you have to at least show respect.

We don't choose our families and I want the world to know that if I could, I wouldn't pick any other. My mom is one of four children and my dad, one of five so the size of my family is above average and the love they show is likewise above average. They started trickling in today for Liza's wedding and there are many I haven't seen in over 2 years. It's been a huge treat to visit with them and I look forward to the time we can spend together in the next few days.

I would not be who I am today without my immediate and extended family and I love them all.

Isn't "Busy Summer" Supposed to be an Oxymoron?

Boy oh boy, who ever thought that summer would be so hectic and busy? I certainly didn't. I hate to do this, but if I don't simply list out what I've done, it will never be written down. I haven't had much sleep lately but I swear I'll have more time to write later.

After a week of working at the Broadreach office, I went to staff training. Remember, I'm going to be leading two trips to Belize (information can be found here).

Before staff training was finished, with only the staff party remaining, I shared heartfelt goodbyes with other trip leaders and went on my way with Liza to our hometown of good old Charleston, WV to see a good childhood friend of ours be wed. The 5-6 hour drive put us at the after-rehearsal-dinner party for the last 45 minutes of it. The wedding and reception the next day were fantastic and it was great to see them again.

We came back today and started packing since Liza moves out tomorrow. While doing so, I watched the Heat beat the Mavericks in Dallas in the NBA finals to give Miami a 2-1 lead in the series. Tomorrow I have some things to sort out at the Broadreach office then we need to pick up a Uhaul, load it up, and be gone by 12 at the absolute latest.

Seeing as it's after midnight, I would be wise to call it a night and go to bed. I promise future posts will be more interesting than this boring one. Thanks for sticking it out and keep checking back: I should be posting again by next weekend.

Go Big Red!

Because my permanent address is still listed in Ohio, it takes a long time for my parents to build up enough of a supply of mail to merit sending away to me.  Such is the case for the most recent issue of the Denison Magazine, a publication given to all alumni of the one and only Denison University.  On the front cover I discovered that in March the men's swimming and diving team finally knocked off Kenyon College's 31-year steak of being the national champions winning the meet 500.5 to 499.5, a margin sure to rival Phelp's 7th gold medal won by a hundredth of a second back in 2008.

Roommates Nathan, John, and Brian just after graduation.

In the final pages, brief updates on students are listed by year of graduation and this is always one of my favorite sections to read.  I was actually surprised to see my name in there because I don't know when and how I gave my information (but I'm glad it was in there because I think the more people included, the better!).  The update said that I keep up a blog but listed the end of the website as blogsport.com, which is not right.  If anyone reading this has caught the typo and found my blog thanks to the Denison Magazine, welcome!  I'm glad you made it!

Denison University will always be my alma mater.  I shed a lot of blood, sweat, and tears at that school and love it to death.  Sure I may attend other schools for graduate classes or programs, but Denison forever holds a special place in my heart.  Go Big Red!

Hard to Get

At the peak of Sharp Top.  Photo: Cornelia

I've been hard to track down the past week or so.  Sorry about not saying anything.  Everyone likes a brief post, so here's what I've been up to:

I hung out with Liza as well as Mike and his family in Charlotte.

Liza and I came back to Raleigh for a couple days and I started working at the Broadreach office.

We then drove up to VA to visit family (met my new baby cousin whose birthday is the day after mine).

With family, we hiked 3 miles (I was barefoot for the entire hike). Good times.

Liza and I returned to Raleigh and I started working again at the Broadreach office.

Staff training starts on Thursday night, then I meet my co-leader on Saturday, and I'll be gone from internet until next weekend.

Don't forget to cheer on the Miami Heat as they power through the NBA playoffs! And also FC Barcelona as they take on Manchester United for the UEFA Champion's League Final.