Stagg1 CaitlinStagg Lampman20803 9December2010 You,Me,andtheBayofMonterey Ifyouweretoasksomeonewhatarethemostimportantthingstothemin

life,theyprobablywouldntsaythe326milliontrilliongallonsofoceanthatcovers Earth.Buttome,theoceanispureblissandinspiration.Ithasledmetowanttodo thingsthathavesometimesseemedimpossibleforme. Thepresenceoffailureusedtohauntme.Itfollowedmearoundjustasthe raincloudsseemtofollowyourworstdayandjustassummerfollowsspring.Ihave slowlylearnedtonotfearfailureasmuch,andtotryandputitbehindme.Ilearned todothiswiththehelpofMonterey,California.Inanoddway,thiscitygivesmethe motivationthatIneedinlife. ThefirsttimeIremembergoingtoMontereywaswhenIwasaroundfifthor sixthgrade.WewerevisitingmygrandparentsinSanJoseandmysisterandher familyinLodi.WetriedtomakeatripdownfromIdahoonceayear,usuallyright afterChristmas.Thistime,wedecidedtotakeatriptoMontereywithmymom, sisterChelsea,twoofourbestfriendsLaurynandCorinne,andtheirdad,Greg.Greg andmymomwerethesameageandhadgrownupasfriendsinHawaii.Laurynand Corinne,Gregstwindaughters,weretwoyearsolderthanme.MysisterandIhad finallymetthemtwoyearsearlierwhentheymadearoadtripuptoIdaho.Nowwe feltlikethefourofushadbeenbestfriendsforyears.Wewantedtodoeverything

Stagg2 togetherincludingsleepoversattheirhousefortheweekend,seeingeverything theyliketodointheirlittletownofMountainView,andgoonadaytripto Monterey.CorinnehadadevicetoplayheriPodthroughthetapeplayerinthegreen vansowelistenedtomusicpickedbyusandnottheadultsfortheentirehouranda halfdrive.WhenwegottoMontereyweparkedinapayperhourparkinglotand walkeddowntown.Therewerealotofcuteshopsandrestaurantsliningthestreets filledwithpedestrians.Thereweretshirtandsouvenirshopsandhighclass jewelryshopssellingpearlsfromtheoceanthatwewerewalkingnextto.We walkedalongthestreetsandboardwalklookingatouroptionsandthenpickedone oftherestaurantsonthepiertoeatat.LaurynandCorinnebothorderedvirgin strawberrydaiquiris.ChelseaandIdidthesameandthatbeganmyobsessionof orderingvirgindaiquirisforthenextcoupleofyears.Wesatatatablesituated betweenthebarandthepatio.Thetalldoorstothepatiowerewideopen,itwas sunnyandtheoceanbreezewascomingthroughtherestaurant.Whenyoulooked outoverthepatioyousawoceanformilesandmiles.Itistheperfectblue,anon threatening,smilingbluethatreflectsthesky.Wetookpicturesonthepieroutside therestaurantthencontinuedontotheaquarium. TheMontereyBayAquariumisonCanneryRow,ahistoricstreethighlighted inJohnSteinbecksnovels.Theaquariumlookedbigfromtheoutsidebutwaseven largerinside.WithceilingshigherthanIhadeverseenbefore,myfirstfewsteps insidetheaquariumwereoverwhelming,tosaytheleast.Wegotavisitorsmapof theaquarium,showingwhereallofthedifferentexhibitsanddisplayswerelocated. WestartedattheKelpForestexhibit,a25foottalltankdisplayingallkindsof

Stagg3 animalsandplantsthatwouldbefoundintheoceansurroundingtheMontereyBay andtheaquarium.Atfirstyouseethebottomlayerofalltheplantsstickingoutof thesandwhenyoustandonthefirstfloor,thenyoumoveuptothesecondfloorand itslikeyoujustmoveduptowardstheoceansurfacealayer,andthenagaintothe thirdfloor. Alloftheexhibitsintheaquariumarethisfantasticandmoving.Theyshow youthingsthatyoucouldneverhavedreamedofseeingunlessyouwerescuba diving.Itletsyouliveintheoceanforevenafewhours.WhenIwasyounger,The LittleMermaidwasoneofmyfavoritemovies.Now,eventhoughIwasmucholder,I wasgiventhechancetofeellikeamermaid.Standwithonlyaglasswallbetween meandthewaterworldIfoundsofascinating. Ihavewantedtobecomeamarinebiologistforyears.Whenevermyfamily andIwentonatriptoHawaii,Iwantedtospendallmytimeinoraroundtheocean. Icouldntgetenoughofit.Whenyoustandtherelookingoutattheocean,itslike youarereallydiscoveringhowsmallandinsignificantyouare.Somepeoplesaythey cantswimintheoceanbecauseofthefearofnotknowingwhattheyareswimming with.True,thatcanbeascarythought,butwhenyoudontthinkaboutthatandjust embracewhereyouareandwhatanamazingplaceyouarein,Idontknowhowyou canbescared. Myfirstexperiencewithanoceananimalwaswhenmyparentsandsister andIwentonasnorkelingtrip.Afriendofmydadsownedacatamaranboatthat tookpeopleouttoHonoluaBaytogosnorkelingandhavelunchontheboat.Mydad

Stagg4 helpedmeputonmysnorkelingmaskandheandIstartedoutawayfromtheboat. Wewereseeingalotofbeautifulfishandplantsbutnothingtooexciting.Thenaswe gotfurtherout,mydadtouchedmyarmandpointed.Iraisedmyheadandsaw about10feetinfrontofus,ahuge,beautifulseaturtle.Iveseenmanyturtlessince thenandtheyneverceasetoamazeme. AlltheschoolsIchosetolookatwerenearwaterandspecializedinmarine biology.MymomconvincedmetoapplytotheUniversityofIdahoasabackup schooljustincase.ShetoldmeIcouldgototheUofIformaybetwoyearstotake generalbiologyclassesandthentransfertooneoftheotherschoolsIlookedat.My choicescamedowntoUniversityofHawaiiandUniversityofIdaho.Atthelast minute,Istartedhavingsecondthoughtsaboutmarinebiology,mainlybecauseof myhellishexperiencessofarwithchemistry,whichIwouldhavetotakealotof.I decidedIwouldgototheUofItoseeifIlikedbiologyandthentransfer.WhenI visitedUofI,Iwaswalkingaroundthecampuswithmydad,itwassnowingandit wasextremelywindy.Ilookedatmydad,peeringfrominsidethehoodofmy snowboardingjacket,andsaid,Ihateithere.AtthatmomenthethoughtIhad chosenHawaiibutasIthoughtmoreaboutthechemistry,andtheamazingGreek systematIdaho,IcametothedecisionofUofI. Myfirstyearofcollegedidntgoexactlyasplanned.Imadegoodfriendsand memoriesbutnotgrades.Ifailedthreeclasses,twowerechemistryfirstsemester thenagainthesecondsemester.IrealizedthatnomatterhowmuchIwantedtodo marinebiology,Ijustdidnthavethepassionforscience.Iwantedtodosomething

Stagg5 thatIwouldactuallylikestudyingandlearningmoreabout.Istartedtakingmore generalclassesandlookingintobusinessbutonceagainIwasntexcitedaboutthe subjectofmyclasses. Now,IamnowmajoringinjournalismwithanEnglishwritingminorandI lovemyclasses,whichmakesmeactuallyexcitedtogotothemandgetmy homeworkdonefortheclasses.IstillhavenoideawhatIwanttodowhenI graduatebutIfeellikepickingamajorwasagoodstep.IstillthinkthatIhavea chancetodosomethinginmarinebiology,whichiswhatIamreallypassionate about. MymomandIhavetalkedaboutthepossibilitiesofmebeingajournalist abroadsinceIalsolovetraveling.Orbeingsometypeofwriter,representingthe MontereyBayAquariumortheMauiOceanCenter,anotheroneofmyfavorite aquariumsthatIhavebeento.Thethoughtofbeingabletocombinewriting,oneof mybestandfavoriteskills,andmyloveoftheoceanandoceananimalswouldbean amazingjobthatIwouldreallyappreciate. Inowbelievethatnomatterwhat,ifyouwanttodosomething,thereis alwaysawaytodoit.EvenifIamnotworkingasascientist,Iamdeterminedtobe aroundtheoceanwhenIgetolder.Icanjustimaginegrowinguptoliveinahouse onthebeachsomewhere.Ilovewarmweatherandfeelingsandunderneathmyfeet. Iloveseagullsandtidepoolsandlookingforshells.Iloveputtingdownatoweland sittingthere,eatinglunchonthebeach.IhateusingsunscreenandIhategettingsun burned.Ilovebeingtanandlookinggoodinabathingsuit.Iwanttobeabletoreally

Stagg6 livebythebeachinsteadofjustvisitingit.Iwanttoliveinaquietbeachtownthatis stillnearthecity. Ithinkthattheoceanwouldbeagreatplaceforchildrentoberaised.Im surethatsomepeoplewouldsaythatitisaverydangerousplacebutIbelievethatif youhaverespectfortheoceanandknowwhatitiscapableof,youwillbesafefrom it. IplanongoingtoHawaiithissummeranditcantcomefastenough.WhenI amthereitisatimetojustforgetabouteverythingandhavefunwithmyfamily.We wakeupearlytowalkthebeachandlookatthetidepoolswhilethetideisout.Then wegobacktoourcondoandhaveabreakfastofwhitebreadtoastedwithguava jellyonit,mangoandpapaya,andPOG,passionorangeguavajuice. Aftertwoweeksinthecondo,mydadwouldflybacktothemainlandandmy momandsisterandIwouldmoveintomyAuntSharonshouseforthenexttwo weeks.Myauntlivedupcountry,orupthemountain.Itwasalwaysalittlecoolerat herhouseanditwasabouta30minutedrivedowntotownandthebeach.At Sharonsmymomandsisterwouldcontinuetowakeupearlyandgotothestoreor KomodosBakerytogetmemyfavoritedoughnuts;snails,twisties,andraisinbread, oratleastthatswhatIcalledthem.MycousinAlysaandIwouldsleepinandthen getreadyandgoshopping.Wewouldgotoshoppingcenters,themovies,orlittle surfshops.Alysawoulddriveusaroundinherexpensivecar,inherdesignerdress, withherCoachpurse.WewoulddrivetoTommyBahamasrestaurantandgetthe besticedtea,bread,andsalads.ThenwewouldwalkdownthestairstotheBetsey

Stagg7 Johnsonstoreandtryondressesandheelsandshewouldbuyalowcutdresson salefor$425thatshewouldwearoncethensendittomeinIdahotoborrowformy graduationfromhighschool. Tome,theoceanrepresentsmanythings,mainlyfamily.Somanyofmygreat familygatheringmemoriesareonthebeach.Theoceanalsomeansindependence andwonderandbeautybeyondallcomprehension. Theoceanwillalwaysmotivatemetodowhatmakesmehappy.Nomatter whatIhavetodotogetthere,IwillnotfailindoingwhatIlove.Failureisnotan optionwhenitcomestohappiness.NowthatIhavefiguredoutthatIdontneeda biologydegreetobenearseaturtles,sand,andsaltwater,Iamgenuinelyexcitedto seewhatthefutureholdsforme.Inschool,inwork,inlocation,andeverythingthat comeswithit.Justlikebillionsandbillionsofdropsofwatermakeuptheocean, everysecondofmyexistencebringsexperiencesthatmakeupmylifeandIcant waittoseewhatliesahead.