I've been obsessed with the beach from a young age and have always loved sea turtles. Our yearly family trips to Florida included visiting New Symrna Beach where we'd see the protected fencing around sea turtle nests. A couple of times while walking the beach at night, we'd stumble upon a female sea turtle laying her eggs. It's important to stand in silence without flashlights on, so that she can lay her eggs in peace and then follow the moonlight back to sea. What a neat thing to watch!
The beach in Key West that Mike and I were married on had protected sea turtle nests around the brush. There was even a "track" to help lead newly hatched turtles to sea and you can see it in all of our wedding pictures.
Mike and I love to visit tropical places (thanks to Mike's travel points!) and have seen/swam with sea turtles in the ocean. On our trip to Hawaii last June, we saw lots of sea turtles....some were riding the surf at North Beach in Oahu and others swam with us (or rather we swam with them) on the Big Island. I found the neatest postcard in a random souvenior shop at Volcano National Park. I loved the card so much that I had it framed and hung it above our mini sea turtle collection. I find the saying on the card fitting to share it with you this New Year's day. It's something I to strive to live my life by (notice I said "try").
Advice from a Sea Turtle
Swin with the current
Be a good navigator
Stay calm under pressure
Be well traveled
Think long term
Age gracefully
Spend time at the beach!
- Ilan Shamin
This is the sea turtle postcard I framed above our mini collection of sea turtles.
Sea turtle riding the waves on North Beach in Oahu.
August 2007 - Me pictured with my beautiful bridesmaids on Samthers Beach in Key West. Note the "track" for baby sea turtles behind us.
10 Things We've Learned During Our First Five Months in SF
In the last blog post I promised to share with you the top things Mike and I have learned so far while living in SF. I can only imagine what else we'll experience after another five months of living here.
10. Apartments don't have air conditioning.
9. More often than not a trip to the beach entails sweatpants and sweaters.
8. Always carry anti-bacterial with you while riding public transit.
7. Scarfs, boots and coats are worn year-round.
6. An in-unit washer and dryer and a parking spot is considered a huge luxury.
5. Dogs are welcome everywhere...boutiques, stores, restaurants, bars, etc.
4. The city celebrates any- and everything.
3. Coming to every intersection while driving requires concentration. Are you on a steep incline or headed downhill. Is it a stop sign or a light? Look out for pedestrians, CRAZY people on bikes, fellow drivers, and tourists (yes, tourists get their own category...not everyone understands a crosswalk).
2. There's unlimited activities in Nor Cal...we could live here for 5 years and still wouldn't see it all!
1. Going to a "Leather Festival" does not mean you'll find cowboy hats, belts and boots.
