Skydiving!

On March 30, 2013 I went to Toledo WA to go static line skydiving with my friends Jeremy and Jen. Static line skydiving and tandem skydiving are the two options for a first jump. We chose the static line skydiving because you get to jump on your own. To do the static line skydiving we had to do about 3 hours of training so that we would be prepared for the jump. 

Jen, Jeremy, and I about to do our first solo jumps!

After the training we went over last minute details and then boarded the plane. I was sitting with my back to the pilots seat, Jen was in the back facing me, Jeremy was in the front sitting next to the pilot, and the jumpmaster was beside me and behind Jeremy. Jeremy was going to jump first and because I was sitting with my back to the pilot I had a hard time turning to see what was going on. I heard a loud BANG! The door flew open and Jeremy was about to jump but then I heard another loud noise and wasn't sure what happened. I thought that Jeremy either fell out of the plane or his pilot shoot went off and the jumpmaster threw him out. I thought this was a possibility because during training they warned us that if our shoot accidentally went off while in the plane we would be thrown out of the plane to prevent damages to the aircraft. Luckily, this did not happen and his jump went well. 

I was up next...I moved to the front of the plane by the door. We circled around some more getting into position again at 3,500 feet. The jumpmaster reminded me of a couple of things and then opened the door. Again, BANG!! The feeling that I experienced when the door slammed open and I could feel the wind gushing by was when I got the biggest rush. I was going over the procedure again in my head, my heart was pounding, and my legs were shaking. I never thought about not jumping but the initial shock of this gave me the biggest adrenaline rush of the entire experience. The engine of the plane slowed down a bit and the jumpmaster told me to climb out of the plane. I held onto the bar below the wing, looked over and got the signal to go. My hands were already slipping so letting go was easy. After falling a few hundred feet in 5 seconds my shoot went off and it was now time for me to maneuver to the ground. Before my jump I went over in detail where I wanted to land, where I didn't want to end up, etc. However, when I was in the air looking down I was disoriented. I had no idea where the landing field was because it all looked the same. I had a radio attached to my helmet and I got coached down. Finally, as I got closer and closer to the ground I realized where I was and what my target was. However, the faster I lost elevation the sooner I realized that I could have an issue. There were two fences but it was questionable if I was going to make it over the first one. On my radio my coach said watch out for the fence but at that point I had no idea how to move away from it and just hoped that I would clear it. I did! Just barley. Then I flair my parachute and land on my ass getting a lovely grass stain on my blue jeans. I then get up and realize that I am boxed in by the fences that I saw from above and wasn't sure how to get out. One of the people that was coaching us on the radio came over held down part of the fence with his shoe and told me to be carful when climbing through because it was an electric fence. 

When I landed I think I was still processing what I had just done because all of the instructors were asking me how it was and if I wanted to do it again. I had a good time but I wasn't really sure if I wanted to do it again. Later that afternoon after we had gotten home it hit me what I had just done and how much I actually enjoyed it. I liked the adrenaline rush, the endorphins, and the community that I got a slight look into. 

I decided I wanted to do it again but this time I wanted to do the first AFF jump which involves more training and more skill. The first AFF jump is done with two other instructors from between 10,000 and 15,000 feet. However, you are not attached to either of them but they hold onto you during the free fall and signal for you to preform specific skills. After you pull your chute you are on your own again. Jeremy also decided that he wanted to do this jump so we called the skydiving place on monday and made a reservation for that next weekend. Unfortunately, the weather in Washington isn't always the best and we ended having our session canceled because of the weather. I have not yet done this jump but hope to in the near future.         

After my jump! My parachute did me well!

Dead Week & Finals

Another quarter coming to an end means hard days, long nights, and lots of stress. I took four classes this quarter (17 credits) and finished one last week and another yesterday. However, I considered the classes that I am already done with the easy ones or at least the ones I was not worried about. I now have math and geomechanics to prepare for!! AHHH! They are by far the most difficult classes for me this quarter if not over my entire college career. My math final is on Saturday and for Geomechanics I have a group lab and professional consulting report due monday as well as a final on Wednesday.   

This post does not really have much of a point or meaning--it is just shows all of the joys* I am embarking on within the next seven days. 

I saw this photo online today and it has provided me with a little bit of motivation. I really like the meaning behind it but for me getting motivated to do calculus is harder than running a marathon (although afterwords it might be more of an accomplishment because of how difficult it has been).
On another note it is very relevant to my geomechanics class: first of all it is a geology course and second of all we recently have been focused on fluid mechanics.  

Time to Do Work

*I really hope everyone caught the sarcasm in there

Earth and Space Sciences

I am slowly coming up upon graduation and I figured that this is a good time to reflect on my academic college experience.

The first classes that I took were those that sounded interesting, fun, and counted towards the general education requirements. Entering college I thought I might want to be an economics major but after taking my first economics class I ran the other direction realizing it was not the right path for me. After that I did not have a path that I was set on and just experimenting on what the different colleges had to offer.
In winter 2010 I was sitting in my Space and Space Travel class (one of the interesting/fun classes) and in the last ten minuets someone came in to speak about an exploration seminar to Australia. The main thing that I took away was very basic and the superficial level of what was offered which was the fact that it was a trip to Australia. With this I decided to apply and see what happened. After applying I got an interview with Robert Winglee, the dean of the department and also one of the trip instructors. After the interview he told me that I was welcome to be a part of the exploration seminar and on top of that I was offered some departmental funding if I were do declare my major as ESS. I saw no downside to this, Robert even said that I could change my major after the trip if I found something else that I was interested in. I committed to the trip, declared my major as ESS, and was ready to go on a walkabout in the outback!

That summer I participated in the exploration seminar to Australia. It was an unbelievable experience and I gained much more than I could have imagined. It turned out to be more than just a fun trip to Australia but an experience that has shaped my future in a way and sparked my interest in international travel. I have always wanted to see the world but this really made it seem possible and shined a light to how amazing future travels could be.
I enjoyed the trip and everything that we were learning about the geology, wildlife, flora and fauna that was extremely unique to the region. I enjoyed it so much that I decided I would keep ESS as my major and have continued on that path. This was not something that I could have ever planned or expected but it ended up being a great result from an amazing trip that was not only a great learning experience but also inspiring.

 

Australia- Exploration Seminar Website
I will save the details of the trip for another post but in the meantime the Ross Family Blog provides good reading about how ended up crossing paths.

Throughout the next few academic years I have been able to take some really challenging, interesting, fun, and inspiring classes in the ESS department.


ESS 472 Rockets and Instrumentation

This is a video of the two-stage rocket that my group worked on. It was the first successful two-stage rocket launch at UW! It reached an apogee of 7,987 feet.












 

Group Photo After A Successful Week In Black Rock Nevada

ESS 101- Intro to Geology
There were some optional field trips to the ape caves and mount saint Hellens.

ESS 205 Access to Space

I have been able to appreciate the classes that I have taken and the places that they have taken me but until now have not appreciated the departments excellence, the professional atmosphere, and the challenges to expand my knowledge and understanding of the world.
I have included the mission statement of the Earth and Space Science department that now means more to me because I understand the goals of the department, faculty, and students as a whole and not just an individual going through the motions of college.

The mission of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences is to further the understanding of Earth, the solar system, and their histories.

The Department's scope extends from the center of Earth to the rim of the solar system, and its activities cut across traditional disciplines of physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and mathematics. Our faculty, students, and staff examine Earth's interior structure, chemistry, motion, and dynamics; geologic hazards; processes affecting the surface environment; the surrounding space environment; planetary processes; and geobiology.

We provide a foundation for interdisciplinary teaching and research that is based on the geologic record, and on rigorous observation and modeling of Earth's present state. Our research aims to provide a basis for making accurate predictions of future conditions.

Through these activities, we contribute to the education of undergraduate and graduate students seeking careers in science and technology, provide broad educational opportunities about Earth, environmental and space sciences, and conduct outreach on related issues of societal concern.

UW ESS Website         ESS Blog

Reflecting upon my college career I am so thrilled to have initially come to UW, found a major that I enjoy and challenges me, and be able to appreciate the great opportunities that I have had and that are to come upon achieving my bachelors degree in Earth and Space Science from the University of Washington. 

Work in the Burke

This quarter I have been working with Museology and Archaeology departments in the Burke Museum. I have learned quite a bit about collections, worked with some very knowledgable and fun people, and broadened my laboratory experience. 

The above pictures are of me and Jordan (another undergrad at UW) sorting level bag materials from a site in Alaska in the 60s and below I am organizing the level bags in boxes.

Organizing Level Bags

Behind the Scenes night was on Wednesday the 20th. As the title suggests, it is a night where members of the museum get to go behind the scenes, and look at various collections and learn about research that goes on beyond the museum displays that can be seen daily by the public.

My Station
discussing cat scans 

This was also an exciting experience for me because I not only worked in the Archaeology department talking about Nelly the 2000 year old mummy but got to tour other areas that I had not seen before.

Cat Scans & Bulb

Some Info on Nelly:

She is from Egypt and died 2000 years ago when she was 19 years old.

Nelly's Coffin

Her cat scans show poor restoration work done in the 60s. The bones above her waist were removed and water lilly bulbs were found inside her intestines. The bulbs are considered a symbol of rebirth and purposefully put there. Because her bones were removed they put an expanding foam inside her chest and stomach areas along with a road and chicken wire to support her body and prevent collapse. All of this can be observed in the cat scans that were done. You can also see some of the foam extruding from one of her eye sockets. This just shows what a poor job was done in the 60s. Adding to this neither of the feet that are currently with her body belong to her. Her feet fell off and they decided to put a male foot and a cast of a male foot with her body.  


Some of the other areas that were open include ethnology, ornithology (birds), herbarium, ichthyology (fish), mammalogy, paleobotany, vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology and entomology. Below are some pictures from some of these areas.

Dinosaur Bones

Mammalogy

Ornithology

                                                           

           

Ethnology

Ethnology

Ethnology

At the beginning of this quarter I thought taking this laboratory class that combined museology and archaeology would be a good way to see if I would eventually want to pursue a job at a museum. I cant say that I have now found my life calling but I am glad to have been exposed to various professional and academic fields in museum work. I think my favorite part and the part that I would want to get more involved with is the community outreach and interaction aspect.

Here is a link to the Burke website for other information

Oh Canada!

This weekend I went to visit the wonderful city of Vancouver, BC with a couple of friends and as always had a great time. Vancouver never disappoints!

In the four years that I have now lived in Seattle I have been able to make it up to Canada five times. Each time has been amazing and provides its own unique experiences. 

Here are a couple other photos from my previous trips that sum up some of things I have done in Canada

Stanley Park

Granville Island

The two pictures above were from my first trip to Vancouver and upon my return to the states I declared my love for Canada and wanted to move there.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park

This trip included venturing off a bit out of the city of Vancouver to the suspension bridge park. It was a very touristy thing to do but was fun and worth the experience.

Cool Statue to Play on

Vancouver Museum of Art

Another fun trip where I got to explore the city more.
Each trip to downtown Vancouver has included exploring various aspects of the city by day and going to bars and clubs on Granvill by night.

Whistler!

Fun Running Around in the Snow

Whistler!

Exploring the Village 

Going out to Night Clubs

Pool+ Hot Tub+ Snow= Great Combination

Olympic Rings 

My trip to Whistler was over college weekend in 2012 after the summer I lived in at Phi Kappa Tau and was with mostly people I had met living in. We had a pretty large group go and had two sweets that had two queen beds each and still had people sleeping on the floor. Whistler was a beautiful winter wonderland with a vibrant night life.  

Fluid Mechanics

I am currently taking Geomechanics and my professor George Bergantz sent us an email of a video he put together to get us excited about moving into learning about fluid mechanics. It is an awesome video, that not only makes me want to go kayaking but successfully sparked my curiosity in what we are embarking on academically. 

So far this class has been really challenging but in a positive way where the professor really wants the students to learn the concepts and inspires curiosity and exploration in academia and the outdoors (a combination that I love). 

Looking Ahead

I have been looking more into my options and finalizing graduation requirements and post graduation plans.

I previously had planned on graduating after taking an extra quarter in the fall. Then, working somewhere while living in Seattle during the winter and in the spring participate in a NOLS program in East Africa. However, I have been looking in more detail at my degree audit and the classes offered in the next several quarters. I will not be able to take all classes that I will necessarily want to take but regardless they will count towards my major and a sooner graduation which saves money on tuition.

I am hoping to take spring and summer quarter and finish off with a study abroad trip in Jordan. I applied for two study abroad trips one engineering program in Jordan and the other a biology program in Peru. My top choice is the Jordan program but it depends on if I get accepted... so now I wait... While I wait, I am trying to figure out classes to work so that I can make this plan a reality. If I can figure everything out and be able to have my last quarter be studying abroad I would want to travel around the Middle East, maybe Africa, and Europe for a while afterwards. After this, I suppose return to Seattle and find work. Maybe find work in some other state or look into living in another country but Seattle would be what I would consider returning home. I am leaving these options open and although it is a bit unsettling not having a concrete plan it is also exciting to venture into the unknown.

As I approach this time of transition I reflect on my past and what has brought me to where I am today. This includes my interests, studies, ambitions and goals. Not all of which I can trace to their root, however, several things I can or look at key events that have lead me to my current being. I don't feel like I have had many life transitions that while in the moment I have been able to appreciate the change. The largest transitions that I have experienced thus far have included moving to California from North Carolina and graduating high school and moving to Washington for college. When I moved to California from North Carolina I was going into the fifth grade and didn't have any say about the matter. Needless to say I was unhappy with my parents for forcing me to leave my home, my friends, and my school. I was born a tar heel and did not want to leave for California which I knew only one thing about. The one thing I knew about California was that they had strange looking roofs for their houses from watching Rugrats on Nickelodeon. I eventually learned that they were spanish style roof tops that dominated most areas of Southern California but not all of it. As for my move to Seattle for college, that was complete my choice; however, college to me was an expectation. The transitions that I will soon face have no expectations attached to them; I only need to be able to financially support myself.

Throughout my college experience I have become more independent and realize that all the choices that I make wether I realize it or not have a huge affect on the outcome of my life. I am looking at the transitions that are quickly approaching in a new way. I acknowledge that I have control over my decisions, however, the outcome might not be what is completely anticipated. I look at this with optimism because as long as I am making decisions that make me happy I feel that I will end up in a good place.

In general I want to live an honorably life, make a difference, be happy and able to live with all the choices I make, and satisfied with the outcome of whatever work it is that I do. Currently I can not say that I am at a point where I can say this is entirely the case. Yes, I love UW, Seattle, and in general the life I have created for myself here. However, I am at a point where I am craving the transition that is approaching and want a change that takes me out of my comfort zone, challenges me, and takes me into not only the unknown but the extraordinary.

It has become a tad bit mundane after four years of basically the same thing and because of this I am ready for something new. The main enjoyment for me has been taking classes which allow me to explore and challenge myself on an academic and personal level.

There are so many senieros that my future holds and I am unbelievebly lucky and privileged to have had the opportunities that I have that have lead me to today and cant wait to turn the page to see what tomorrow brings.

From my Trip to Thailand