bugheart

Thursday, February 02, 2012

the blue dolphins that took her home

the sun
was just
rising
as
we ate breakfast
and headed
out on
a little fishing boat
to see dolphins.

the sun was
so incredibly bright
and
the boats swayed
on the water.

as we moved
farther and farther
from shore
the waves
slapped the boat
and
my heart
quickened.

for some reason
it reminded me
of a book
i read
and loved
many years ago.

a girl alone
on an island.

the island of
the blue dolphins.

i don't remember
the story
that well
but watching
the shore
fade into the distance
reminded me
of
the dolphins
following
karana
as she left
the island.

do you
remember
the story?

something
about
the loneliness
of being left
to forge
for oneself...

there were
moments
during
this trip
i felt that way.

but
in the end
there are
friends
to help
you
through it all.

i imagined
how she must
have felt
leaving
the island
behind her
as the dolphins
swam
alongside the boat.

far away
from the shore
there were
other
animals.
sting ray males
dancing
for the females.

and
sea turtles
like
the ones
released
a week or so
ago.

and
i remembered
a line from
that book
i read
so many years
ago...

more than anything,
it was the blue dolphins
that took [her]
home.

Monday, January 23, 2012

tortugas

it's times
like this
that you
feel like
you are
riding a wave.
exhilarated
and then suddenly
pulled under...
tumbling down
and around.
a
mouthful
of
sea water.
then
you reach
and come
back up
into
the sunshine.
breathing
the air
again.

i look
at the
calendar
and
the month
is
two-thirds
over.

soon
we will
be back
in switzerland.

grub & i often
talk
about
the two
different
types of trips.
relaxing trips
and
adventure trips.
relaxing is
like going
to sea ranch.

mexico
is
always
an
adventure.

i have had
moments
that were
relaxing,
but
it is all
so new
and
so different
that
i can
never
be
totally relaxed.

there are
moments
that make
up for
all the
stress
and worry.
for all
the fear.

one of
them
was
watching
the
baby sea turtles
desperately
crawl
towards the sea.

watching
these
turtles
disoriented
and
so very small
against
the backdrop
of the ocean,
i thought
that
compared to them
my life is
so easy.
my struggles
are few.

their struggle
is the embodiment
of all that
i have studied
in biology.
the struggle
to survive.

it's so
much more
than just
making
it to the water
because
the water can
be just
as dangerous
as the shore.

some people
thought
i was crazy
to take
my 3.5 month
old baby
to mexico
but
even though
i have
wondered
if we did
the right thing
when
i cannot sleep
at wee hours
of the morning.
there is one
thing
i have learned
and
hope to teach
my daughter
by example...

all
the most
wonderful
things in
life come
with some
risk.

don't be
afraid
to catch
that wave
even if
it may pull
you under.
you can reach
and find
your way
back up
to the surface
and
into
the sunshine.

xo

{all fisheye photos & panorama above by my friend maria ikenberry}

Saturday, January 07, 2012

from one extreme to another

happy new year!

. . . . .

i spent
new years eve
crossing
the atlantic
from
switzerland
to mexico.

i flew out
of a cold
rainy
switzerland
on
december
31st
and
arrived
at a tiny
airport
with
a thatched roof
&
the sound
of tropical
birds
on the morning
of january 1st.

quite
a shock.

it all
still feels
a bit like
a strange
dream.

as i drive
with my research
partner
up & down
the coast
collecting seeds
the view
from
the passenger side
is
a slow-paced
movie.

i am in
a bit
of a haze.
lost.
overwhelmed.

but

all
my senses
are peaked.

these are
the times
when
the world is
big
and
i have
so much
to learn.

it's
damn
exciting.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

postcard from gruyères

it was
a rainy &
cold day
right before christmas
when we took
a day trip
to gruyères
with
our friend jes.

the train ride
to gruyères
was something
straight out
of how
i imagined
switzerland to look...
mountains
covered in snow
and cute wooden
chalets with
carved & painted
details.