Something New

I shaved my Moustache. It was time.

While this doesn't sound like that big of a deal, it is. I loved my moustache, and shaving it was hard. Maybe my post Moustache-iversarry could give an idea of the importance facial hair has for me.

I grew a beard once out of University, because I felt I needed a new face. With each metaphorical step over the past year, I sculpted the facial hair in some way; goatee when starting South America trip and 'stache when I got into Scripps Institution of Oceanography. And now, with studies beginning, I shaved it off.

I had orientation last week, both with UCSD and Scripps Oceanography. While at times a little boring, overall the orientations were comforting and exciting; comforting because both were expecting me, and exciting because a lot of time speakers were just lauding how great these two institutions are.

There was a party to follow the Scripps orientation, with plenty of beer and food provided. After that final baptism, I am now officially a part of Scripps and UCSD. I continue to be excited.

Goals during Grad School:
-Be finished in 5 years.
-Have one summer off to either carry out a summer fellowship abroad somewhere, hold an internship in the private sector, or get my dive master in the tropics.
-Teach at least one quarter, preferably more.
-Earn a prestigious fellowship (i.e. NSF, NDSEG)
-Go deeper than 2000 meters into the ocean
-Purchase a Westfalia Vanagon; '83 or older, Diesel so I can convert it to Bio-diesel, full camper.
-Cross the equator and international dateline by boat, set foot on each continent, check out the Giant's Causeway, Easter Island, Panama Canal, the Galapagos, San Juan Islands, New Zealand's Bay of Islands, Island of Ascencion, and both the Arctic and Antarctic Circles.
-Witness the Aurora Borealis, Aurora Australis, a water spout, a tornado, a blue whale from the water, a great white shark breach, a rogue wave,
-Kayak the Channel Islands, backpack 200+ miles, bike the full Coast road, finish a marathon, shoot the SIO pier, and sky-dive.
-Punch a baleen whale

I'll think of more, and might just throw them up here.