Blog — The Greenest Blue

A Lesson in Timing, Trust, & Intuition - Back to School After 7 Years of Marine Tourism Work

There have been some big life changes in the past month, and I am thrilled about them. I’m a little bit nervous to talk about them on here, because I’m worried there’s a part of me that still doesn’t believe it’s real, or that I can succeed. There’s even a bit of imposter syndrome sneaking in, which I HATE. But more on addressing that in another blog post.

Basically, here’s what’s happening: I’m going to be attending graduate school in the fall at UC Santa Cruz in the department of Ocean Sciences, studying humpback whale stress physiology. I was fortunate enough to receive an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship which will make this much more financially feasible. As I learn more about what being an NSF fellow entails, I will certainly share that here. But this is a big change in my journey, and I wanted to share this process with you!

Be Like the Buddha of Environmentalism - A Movement Towards Enlightenment in Conservation

I wrote a post not too long ago about the challenges of being an optimistic environmentalist. The struggle is real. Very, very real. I’m sure many of you have seen National Geographic’s latest magazine cover depicting a plastic bag looming up from the ocean like an iceberg with the title “Planet or Plastic?” This particular issue is just the start of the magazine’s multiyear plan to bring awareness to our planet’s plastic overload crisis. At first glance, it’s heart wrenching - another reminder of the doom and gloom and challenges ahead of us. But once I read the article and absorbed the painful facts, the scary stats, and the troubling photographs, I felt a little rush of excitement. Do we even know how many people are going to be exposed to this crisis as a result of this publication, people that may never even have thought about it seriously and now would? National Geographic has always been a magazine that has sparked controversial conversations, and this particular cover has been dubbed “one for the ages.” People are going to be talking. People are going to be freaked out. And that’s good.

Milford Track - Tramping in May 2018

A couple of crazy (amazing) ladies and I tackled the Milford Track in early May - a few weeks ago. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever done. We had some wet, wild, windy weather, and I wouldn't have traded it for the world. There were waterfalls cascading in every direction you looked - best not to hike with a full bladder here or you'll wee yourself. Thinking of hiking the Milford? The Great Walks season runs October 24th - April 30th and the track requires bookings. It books out MONTHS in advance, as it's crazy popular. But it DOES live up to the hype, even in the rain. In fact, I reckon the rain makes it better! The hike is about 54 km long and takes four days. There are three huts along the way that will give you the shelter you need and the amazing views you crave.

Life as a Seasonal Guide - What Do We Do? The Top 5 Perks/Challenges of a Seasonal Lifestyle

"Your life looks so cool, do you just travel all the time? How do you fund this? I'm so jealous!"

My life might look glamorous to those from the outside. Many people use social media to paint the best and most exciting version of themselves. I try and use it to highlight beautiful things I've seen, the positive feelings I'm having, or the people I'm meeting, and naturally skim over the lows and challenges I face internally. It's easy to overlook the day-to-day struggles when you're living in some of the most beautiful parts of the world.