“NOW, MORE THAN ANY OTHER POINT IN HISTORY, we have the distinct opportunity to become both the explorers and the ambassadors of this wondrous, liquid frontier...”
Our oceans need help. But I'm not hear to tell you about the doom and gloom. I'm on a mission to inspire as many people as possible to love the big blue thing that's responsible for the very air that we breathe. How? Through the implementation of practical, simple, day-to-day changes we can make in our lives. This space is for sharing stories and conversations about the environmental issues we're concerned about, the adventures we're living, and the thoughts we're pondering.
My name is Lauren. I work in marine tourism (whale watching and running ethical swim-with-wild-dolphin tours) and write about the conservation issues and environmental concerns that I face on a day-to-day basis to inspire societal change.
What's Happening on the Blog:
Featured
Mindful Travel Series
Taking responsibility for our wanderlust. Learn more:
Inspiration on Insta
What's life as a seasonal guide like? Here's a quick summary of 2017:
This has been a wild year - I've spent 3 tourist seasons on 3 different islands, guiding on snorkel, whale watch, and dolphin swim tours. Maui, I love you. San Juan Island, you feel like home. Kaikoura - you've reinvigorated me. I've never been in so much saltwater, and it feels amazing!
Lauren Fritz is a naturalist, writer, and photographer that tumbled headfirst into a passionate love affair with travel and island living after realizing just how intoxicating this salty and snowy world can be. She's worked as a whale watch, snorkel, and dolphin swim guide in Maui, Hawai’i; the San Juan Islands in Washington State; Kaikoura, New Zealand; and Hervey Bay, Australia. On island, her time is spent teaching visitors about ocean conservation and marine life, but she also maintains a childlike sense of curiosity and wonder and enjoys living life as a permanent student - continuously learning about the ocean, the mountains, and the different cultures that she encounters in her explorations. This blog is an elaboration of her thoughts, musings, and meaningful experiences, with a focus on conservation and mindful living.
Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about routines and rituals. Specifically, I’ve been contemplating how important they can be for our mental and emotional health, and how sometimes, even maintaining a semblance of ordinary or familiarity can help you adjust to challenging new situations that would otherwise be rather anxiety-inducing. I’ve started keeping a few different routines over the past several months. Right now, in hindsight, I find this interesting, as my mantras used to be evolve or be left behind, accept change, adapt constantly, don’t get attached to things that you attribute to your identity, you are constantly in metamorphosis… I never liked the idea of a routine. I thought I would be wasting opportunities to try something new if I kept repeating old habits.
But maybe the real beauty lies in the fact that you can enjoy self-transformation while staying consistent and true to actions that are serving you - i.e. some sort of routine