My Final Word... YOLO

So here goes my last blog at the Sea Lab.  I know, I know.  So incredibly sad!  Try to hold back your tears. I know you'll all miss the blog terribly, but there's always Facebook and Insta stalking available. Oh, the joys of technology! So here lie my final words... about DISL, that is.

My time at DISL is over for the summer, and I'm leaving a changed person.  I may be leaving DISL, but DISL is not leaving me.  Not only am I leaving here with my super cool ray teeth, red drum vertebrae, catfish spine, and all the shells you can image, but I'm also leaving with wonderful memories, new friendships, a yearning for adventure, and a stronger passion for science.

A few months ago, I was intimidated by scientific research projects, but now I look at them with excitement and fever.  They're a exciting new discovery waiting to be found... by me!  And I can not wait to plan my Capstone Project for the Honors Program.  I'm not worried about picking a topic anymore, I just have to be able to settle on only one idea.

I now consider myself to be an adventure junkie.  Okay, so maybe not quite a junkie.  But adventure sounds like lots of fun.  I like it just enough to participate in questionable activity without thinking about it first. For example: You want to dissect a stingray? Give me your best hunting knife.  Swim with sharks?  Nothing new for me.  You want to explore a marsh? Call me crazy, but I'll be there.  What can I say?  Spontaneity is addicting, and that was my only form of entertainment on this island for two months.  So now I'm all like...YOLO!  (For those of you who don't understand the concept of YOLO, please utilize the gift that is UrbanDictionary.com.)

As for all the super cool people that I've met here- I'm definitely going to see them again. First of all, Anna and Angela go to UNA with me, and we're starting a new Marine Club at UNA, so we will still see each other frequently.  And for everyone else, if nothing else, a few will be back with me next summer.  But before then, we have an Auburn trip that we're trying to plan with everyone, which will be awesome.  And then (what I'm most excited about) we're going to have all of the Marine Bio clubs from each school plan a trip to go swim with manatees in Crystal River together.  Manatees (my favorite animal) and swimming with them and a reunion with a bunch of cool people all at the same time?!  Yes, please!!  But then again, what kind of YOLOer would I be if I said no??  Pretty pumped about that coming in my future!

So there you go.  Short, sweet, and to the point.  It's been real.  It's been fun.  But now I'm off to get back to my busy life.  I start giving campus tours at UNA on Monday, then back home for next weekend, then back at UNA for ResLife training, then LaGrange Society Retreat, then the school year begins.  So, obviously, still have a bunch of stuff to do; let's get to it!  Oh, and don't worry... I'll try to save some spare time for YOLO in my life. ;)

PS: Team Worm won best video.  What did I tell you?  Worm-Lovin-Marine-Biologist right here. Go Vermiforms!!  So maybe I still don't love worms, but you could say that I've gained a little respect for them... only the marine kind though.  Look at those winners!!

If you'd like to see our super cool video: 
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10201462909392448