exploring-our-blue-universe-blog

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One warm summer weekend, my family went to Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey. These spots are two of our favorites to visit during the holidays. In the morning, in Monterey, we were wandering around Cannery Row when I discovered a fairly long dock. I love walking on docks and looking out over the ocean; I always have hope that I’ll see some form of ocean life. I got super lucky and saw dozens of beautiful jellyfish swimming just under the surface of the water. After spending some more time at one of the many beaches in Monterey, we went to Carmel for window shopping and food--the stationary shops are my favorite. The sunset in Carmel, combined with the rhythmic ocean waves below it, was one of the most beautiful evenings I have ever spent in California. I don’t know if I truly understood how lucky I was to be able to drive a couple hours and be able to visit a variety of different beaches until this day. As time passed and the sky developed a warmer hue of oranges and pinks, people were walking over from the small boutiques lining the streets to watch it together. It was nice to sit amongst the crowd and absorb the beauty of it all. The contrast of the deep blue color of the ocean and warm hues of the sky made the scene before us look like it was straight out of a fantasy. Of course, I had to at least get my feet wet in the water too. After going seashell-hunting and taking videos of the waves, my family spent over an hour talking by the water, under the sunset. The memory of this seemingly normal day over the summer will probably never leave me. It was a wonderful break from summer classes and made me feel so lucky to live in such a naturally gorgeous place. 

[exploring-our-blue-universe-blog]

In summer 2018, my family visited Italy for a couple of weeks. We’re art museum nerds, and we’d also heard that Italy’s food and beauty were unforgettable. On our trip, we went to Rome, Florence, Bolzano, and Venice (and unashamedly ate pizza and pasta every day for every single meal). The photos above are of the Adriatic Sea on the coast of Venice; I took these pictures from the interior of Doge’s Palace. I remember walking by the water-front in St. Mark’s Square, and it gave me such a different feeling than I get when walking by the docks along the California coast. There were a variety of gondolas lining the edge of the water. Gondoliers were calling out to tourists, promising them a journey of a lifetime. I had heard so much about Venetian gondola rides that I convinced my parents to book one for the three of us (it was actually quite underwhelming and slow-paced; I think I’m more of a speedboat girl). In Venice, the color of the water wasn’t too different from California. It was more of the human life and the Italian culture that differed from the U.S. I am so glad that I am able to travel the world so early on in life; these kinds of opportunities are once in a lifetime. This trip and the experience of walking along the Venetian Lagoon reminded me of the Study Abroad R1B class I took at Berkeley as a freshman--it is so important to gain a broader perspective of everyday experiences, and traveling allows us to do that very effectively.

[exploring-our-blue-universe-blog]

Over winter break in 2018, I took a cruise to the Caribbean. One of the islands we visited was Antigua (my favorite island). The color of the water there was beautiful--the only other place I have seen such clear water is Hawaii. The water was quite shallow and warm. Upon reaching the island, we took a boat to the middle of the open ocean and climbed a cave there. Standing at the top of the cave was surreal. Although climbing the cave (in our bare feet with sharp rocks surrounding us) was definitely the most dangerous part of the excursion, I actually injured myself while snorkeling. Since I have been swimming for most of my life now (16+ years), I felt comfortable and confident enough to lead the group. We saw tons of wildlife, including a pufferfish, lobsters, and small sharks. In my haste to see as many fish as possible, I didn’t realize I was swimming above a huge patch of coral. I kicked my feet hard to propel myself forward, and felt a sharp coral lodging itself in my calf. Upon impact, my calf was throbbing a bit, and I expected that I had gotten a minor scratch and nothing more. However, when I got out of the water, the injury started hurting more. It looked like there were some small holes under my kneecap, and blood kept continuously flowing out of them. The tour guides were kind enough to help clean my wound and gave me lots of food and water. Over the next few days, my coral injury kept on expanding until it was a palm-sized, angry red bruise. It was painful and swollen, and my mom actually fainted at the sight of it when we removed the bandage to clean it again (many of my family members on my mom’s side, including me, faint at the sight of excessive amounts of blood). I had to wear a large white bandage around my calf for the rest of the vacation, and I kept getting stopped everywhere by curious tourists asking me what happened. Even though I got injured, Antigua remains my favorite island. Besides, the injury made a cool story and an interestingly shaped scar on my right leg.

[exploring-our-blue-universe-blog]

Over winter break in 2018, I visited Puerto Rico (on my way back from the cruise to the Caribbean). We wanted to stay in Puerto Rico mostly because of the Bioluminescent Bay; after all, it was The Office couple Jim and Pam’s honeymoon destination. The pictures of the bioluminescence online look gorgeous, and I was extremely excited to swim in the water (even though my coral injury from Antigua hadn’t fully healed yet). Unfortunately, all the Bioluminescent Bay tours were booked for the next few days. We decided to explore historic sights near to our hotel in Old San Juan instead. The picture of the ocean above was taken from a citadel called Castillo San Felipe del Morro, also known as El Morro. It was built in the 1500s. and is now a national park. When we first got to Puerto Rico, I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the beaches. The color of the water looked almost unnaturally saturated--it was such a beautiful blueish-greenish color that reminded me of the coastline of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico. The image above is no exception. It was so surreal to see such a beautiful part of nature. I even saw an iguana sitting on the El Morro wall.

[exploring-our-blue-universe-blog]

At least once a month, my family visits Fort Point and Chrissy Field in San Francisco. The view above is from the vantage point on the roof of Fort Point on August 17th, at around 3:00 PM. It was a super foggy and windy day, and I remember stopping for hot chocolate and coffee at the Warming Hut cafe. I’m pretty sure that there was also a historic demonstration (infantry/artillery/Victorian dance demonstrations) for Living History Day. It was super interesting to talk to the knowledgable volunteers at Fort Point. Coming here so often has made San Francisco feel like home to me, and now, whenever a friend or family member visits from out of town, I insist that we show them around Chrissy Field, where we get the best of three worlds--the ocean, the history, and the large park. Sometimes, when I’m lucky, I see a seal swimming lazily through the shallow water near Fort Point. It’s become a family tradition to park there and just watch the ocean, hoping for any sign of wildlife. Last time we went, the waves were crashing so aggressively against the rocks, my entire car got sprayed with ocean water. When we got back to the car, the water had dried and there were chunks of salt scattered all over the windshield.

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This picture was taken in Coyote Hills in Fremont on June 9th, in the afternoon. I actually live in Fremont, and I spent my high school years coming to Coyote Hills to reflect and get a break. Therefore, this view is super close to home for me. It’s definitely very underrated amongst my friends; we plan to go to Big Sur or Sausalito or Monterey together most of the time, ignoring Coyote Hills (which is just a 15 minute drive away). However, Coyote Hills is like a safe haven for me. I love going to Coyote Hills for hiking, gazing upon the large ponds, and taking in the view from the hills. I was always amazed by the particular view shown above. If you come at the right time, the water looks like a mirror, reflecting the sky above and the hilly areas behind it. One of my favorite things to do here is sit in front of the view of the bay and listen to music. The spot I took this picture from is usually isolated, so it’s perfect for thoughtful reflection. Something that’s calming about Coyote Hills is that there’s no movement in the water. The water only looks like it’s moving if a flock of birds swim through it. Another lovely feature of Coyote Hills is the amount of deer who prance by in the middle of the day. Every time I go, no matter what time, I see at least a couple of deer, and it just makes my day. Hopefully, I can do a night hike there. I wonder how beautiful the bay view looks under the stars.