For the past three and a half years or so I have been working as first mate on the RV Four Winds, a University of Hawaii research vessel. This job was a student job, and when I graduated my employment ended. It was an amazing job, and a great experience. I learned more than I could have imagined. I saw many many beautiful days and nights at sea, and enjoyed the company of a great crew.
This job was also very helpful in giving me an opportunity to take my next step after graduation. A couple of days ago I found out that I was hired on a project run by Scipps as a marine mammal observer on the research vessel FLIP. We will leave from Pearl Harbor at the beginning of October and be stationed off of the west coast of the Big Island for 30 days, but enough about work.
A couple of days after my job ended I took off to visit my wonderful girlfriend Megan in north Idaho. I wanted to see her, and I also wanted to meet her parents and sisters (yup its going that well). It had been over two months since I had seen her, and needless to say it was great to see her again. I am staying with her family near a small town called Hope. She was raised in a house in the country that her father built. The house she grew up in as well as the country side is just amazing. It is set just off of lake Pend Oreille. The lake itself is very large; formed by glaciers it is roughly 65 miles long, and over 350 meters deep making it the 5th deepest lake in the US (wikipedia). Her family and friends have all been incredibly nice and very welcoming.
Megan and I took a little trip into Montana to go to Kootenai falls. It was absolutely beautiful, and we had an amazing time.
We climbed around on the falls, and then walked down to a "swinging bridge" that was at least 60 feet above the water.
I am a bit scared of heights so Megan had a good time watching me squirm as she jumped up and down and the bridge "swung" just as it's name had implied! It was nearly 100 degrees out so we went swimming in what I'm guessing was probably less than 50 degree water! BRRRR! We had a really great time, and I am looking forward to the rest of the trip!
