10/25/15 Bobby Liston

Bobby Liston

10/25/15

            Baja California, Mexico is absolutely amazing. The amazing aqua-blue waters, fin whales, dolphins, whale sharks, sea lions and desert bighorn sheep, remind us of the diverse wildlife here. I am certain that my peer Steve Acuff, is feeling indifferent about the wildlife here. After being stung by a stingray and having a coyote attempting to steal his sleeping bag, I am sure he loves it here. Long hours of swimming and cooling off after paddling is the best feeling in the entire world. These amazing facts of Baja could be so much better for a few reasons. There has been conflict in the group. People have been at each other’s throats lately. Possibly from a contributing factor of the blood boiling sun and other personal conflicts. Baja is truly an experience all its own. Especially the 7-8 foot waves that we bravely paddled through the other day. These experiences all were all shared by the group, and we can all enjoy these memories if we work through them together. We had three meetings as a group over conflicts alone and maybe after our last one today we can start acting like adults. Like they say, “the third times the charm”, so I know we can finally show our amazing new instructor Tati that we can perform. Let’s start kicking butt, or else ECOEE will start kicking our own. 

10/22/15 Steve Acuff

Once again I find myself half asleep writing this journal as a Leader of the Week in a foreign country. Instead of worrying about my comrades traversing rapids in canoes I am stressing about them kayaking open seas that are home to couple ton sea creatures underneath the waves. My team and I have spent the last few days getting the group from the Yosemite Valley to San Diego, down to Baja California and into the Sea of Cortez. None of us new a thing about kayaking or how to pack and plan for an extended sea expedition. But, that is the beauty of this course; through a few fumbles and recoveries we have made it a few kilometers across Bajia de Los Angeles and I am sitting on a nice beach enjoying the sound of the encroaching tide and beautiful stars. Being in a kayak is great; the freedom and control of being in your own craft is awesome compared to a cone and I thoroughly enjoyed not having to deal with anyone else in my boat. But we have tandem kayaks that will test my patience as we traverse the Vermillion Sea. If the sights are anything like today, it wont be hard to enjoy. A huge fin whale graced us with her presence, a pack of dolphins greeted us at our campsite and a sea lion chases schools of fish from the water as we sat on the beach. Ospreys soared, pelicans dove headfirst into the water and a little loon type bird swam underwater at the shoreline. After all that this class doesn’t seem like work. At least until tomorrow when I am reminded of the mountains of schoolwork I have yet to accomplish.

10/21/15 Josh Samuels

Well that night was a much better night of rest. Last night you could see a lightning storm off to the north-northeast, and the wind here as Casa Azul was much less than that of the previous night. This trip into Baja California has been extremely eye opening. Originally starting out as a lab science major I took Latin in high school. Not being able to use that in daily life made it difficult not only to learn and practice but also to remember. With this as my only experience with a foreign language I never attempted another language, but being here in Baja California I can say being immersed into the culture I have not only begun to learn a few Spanish words, bit I have greatly enjoyed learning and being within the culture.    Well the culture here is far different than the life in the Midwest. The most obvious is the temperature, as I am enjoying a shirtless October. I can say that I have never worried about fresh water or even paying for water to drink at meals. ECOEE classes teach us many skills through experiential learning. Being able to be in a group and understand all of the stages of a group is great for the leadership skills. Then being immersed into another country, culture, and language can teach you many other skills.

            For my final note, today we trained on sea kayaks in the Sea of Cortez. This is the richest marine life in the world, with the backdrop of major hills and islands dotting the horizon. A snorkeler, a yacht, and other boats around made for the perfect place to learn to kayak or to just be. Finally getting back to salt water I feel so alive and at home. We have packed our food, our gear is selected, and tomorrow we will be off. Up and down the peninsula for seven days our experiences and our learning will grow greatly.

            A great thank you, gracias, to all of those who support everyone here on this trip. Not only those who have given money or time, support us emotionally or mentally, but everyone who help conserve or preserve this wonderful world and planet that we are here to enjoy.

-Joshua M. Samuels

10/19/15 Meaghan Mason

10/19/15

      Today marked a transition point for the group. At 5:30 this morning we woke up and had the van packed by 6:00. After that we were headed for the border and the start of our sea kayaking experience. We crossed the border at 6:40 a.m. and the difference was noticeable immediately. I felt like I was on a completely different planet. Instead of trees there are cacti that stand over 10 ft. tall. In any direction you look you can see for miles.Seeing Bahia de Los Angeles for the first time was an amazing sight. I can’t wait to learn more about the history of this place and get to explore it more fully. I’ve heard and read that the marine life here is extraordinary and I can’t wait to see it first-hand.

                                                                                                      Meaghan Mason

10/18/15 MO

10/18/2015

I wake up and huge Ponderosas stand above me against the morning sky. I have never seen trees so big and how mesmerizing it is. The differences from California and Illinois are very obvious. The trees here are huge and there are so many different people too! And different types of people at that (i.e. tourist, climbers, and the French). The diversity of people is truly amazing but also Yosemite land forms are pretty outstanding as well. I would have never imagined Yosemite to look the way it does. The trees to geology grabbed my attention right away! And it is all thanks to what some people might think of as destruction. A.k.a Dinos getting blown up by an asteroid and the ice age that formed the magnificent nature that surrounds me. The destruction actually brought beauty and brought each one of us here today! For millions and millions of year people have been roaming the same ground beneath my own 2 feet. And the best part is, I get to learn about the rock formations, the trees that fill the sky, and the people that explored through the valley I now rest my eyes upon. And the best part of all this is, I have been learning all of this information by traveling from place to place, mountain to mountain! To hear new things, see new things, feel new things, and meet new people! I could learn about Yosemite for days, days, and more days but I have miles to go and promises to keep. ECOEE gives you a taste of each place but not much more. The taste is too sweet that at the end it leaves me a little bitter. I have so much I want to accomplish in such a short life span! The only way to do that is to make a to-do list aka bucket list for myself and then make sure I accomplish my dreams! And I thank ECOEE, for showing me that I can accomplish my dreams. All I have to do is plan, think, and work for it. The world is in front of me!!! I shall hug many trees, learn many things, and cook some awesome meals. We only have one short life to live and I want to make sure I use it to my BEST ability.

10/16/15Steve Acuff

Like mot Californians, Yosemite is very in your face. Big trees, big rock faces and tons of people all surround you on the valley floor. It’s a really neat vibe and is probably my favorite park thus far. The first night we pulled into camp after dark so the whole valley was shrouded in darkness. Upon waking the next morning we were greeted by 2-3 thousand food granite walls surrounding us. It’s truly a magnificent sight! I haven’t even mentioned the trees in detail yet. The ponderosa pines can get massive and they are everywhere. 12 foot in diameter trees just hanging out like a common silver maple back in Illinois. Then there are the Sequoias too. I have always wanted to see a giant Sequoia and they lived up to my expectations Beautiful giants standing proud and tall and fat amongst the forest. Ginormous skeletons of the fallen titans littered the ground. All from a tiny seed smaller than a flake of oatmeal. Trees older than the Angkor Watt and the Great Wall of China growing in the peace and solitude of the Sierras. Stunning, the whole landscape does something to each individual that resonates deep inside. Caleb and I even got to witness another of nature’s beauties, the forest fire. The park service was conducting prescribed burns in the forest and we were able to walk a few miles along the road next to it. Watching the flames slowly encompass the forest floor was mesmerizing. The flames claimed the dead and dyeing vegetation leaving only the strong to prosper in its wake. This is the natural cycle of the forest. The flames keep it healthy; the trees depend on it, the soul rejuvenated by it. All these natural wonders are enough to keep you there but even the people who live, work and play in the park are a part to enjoy. I haven’t met that many people who are passionate and love where they were than in Yosemite. Everyone was there because they loved and cared about this special piece of land. From the hard-core climber, to the outdoor ed teacher, and even the concessionaire cook, when you ask them why hey came to Yosemite the first answer is almost always a look up to the giant trees and monumental granite faces and the statement “because of this.”