#monterey bay aquarium my beloved <3

[alltheprettyplaces]

7, 18, 26 for the ask game :)

thanks for the ask val <3

7. what animal do you look forward to seeing when you visit an aquarium?

the last aquarium i went to was in 2019 i think? and it was the monterey bay one (insert their tumblr here) i have never been to an aquarium like that before, it was amazingggg! i think one of my favorite animals to see was the jellyfish bc i had never seen one before and they had sooo many different kinds! i didn't even take any pictures of them as i was just sitting there like this 😧🤩 the whole time. (also the giant pacific octopus? terrifying. i don't think i've felt the way around an animal like i did seeing that) penguins and otters are always a favorite to see too!

18. your boba/tea order?

i really need to start getting boba more bc i don't have a go to order yet; i always get something new! really like just black milk tea with brown sugar boba, matcha, and most fruit green teas! i've been meaning to try cheese tea too. (plus i would die for chai and mint tea. my absolute beloveds)

26. how's your spice tolerance?

it's actually relatively good! especially since i am a white woman from the midwest haha my mom has a veryyyyyy high tolerance and when i got to a certain age it was eat what was made for dinner or make my own food, so it definitely got built up in the last 15ish years

weirdly specific asks

[vang0bus]

IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS CALIFORNIA SHEEPHEAD TO SHOW UP ON THE CAMERA FOR HOURS!!!!! FINALLY SAW HIM AGAIN

[mantaarays]

all i do ever is say words

[undergrounddeer]

Monterey Bay Aquarium my beloved <3

[reformingcolonial]

About the Geek

Where to begin? Not much to say to be honest..... I'm carried in what I do/what I enjoy. Sewing, reading, dabbling in a bit of writing, jewelry making, science, art ....etc etc. A lot of things tend to fascinate me and when something takes hold I usually just roll with the punches until the idea dissipates or I learn a new thing and get bored. Biology as a whole has always been that thing that stuck with me. When I was younger- as my mother has told me and numerous people in her many amusing stories, three or so in age was a big hit for me being funny apparently- I used to watch Steve Irwin and his many conservation related hijinks. He was, and still remains to this day, my inspiration and my hero. I wanted to be a vet, so I told my mom, and work for that crazy guy. I loved animals, still do, more often then not actually bringing home stray cats, frogs, snakes, etc etc until my mom went mad. Haha, still makes me chuckle thinking about the frog. Y'know how most kids move on from that kind of stuff? Oh I wanna be a policeman, ten years later they wanna be a movie star, five years later they're on their way to becoming a teacher. Typical kid stuff right? Not me, apparently I liked to be the odd one out. From 3 years old to 17 I wanted to be a vet, and the only reason my decision changed was that I actually volunteered in a Vet clinic and had to help hold animals down for shots and see sobbing families putting their beloved family pets to sleep. I couldn't do that, I didn't have the stomach to tell someone their pet was terminal and wouldn't live the year. It gutted me. So I switched a little of the spectrum to Zoology, but that didn't catch my eye more then a passing research project. Reptiles are amazing and a dear love of mine, but when my dad got his first saltwater reef fish tank I was sold. Aquariums have always been a dear love of mine, in California we are lucky enough to have some pretty damn good ones (no I am not counting SeaWorld that place needs to get its shit together) but visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific until I left Cali, and then the Monterey Bay aquarium for the first and only time before coming to Wales are spectacular memories. Deep sea and Coral Sea has always captivated me. Learning with my dad, and helping upgrade from the 60 gallon to a 170+ gallon tank, attending Reefapalooza (a convention for saltwater fish tanks) and eventually joking Scmas (the non profit organization that puts ON Reefapalooza) was a great big lightning bolt of inspiration! Cue my beloved friend currently studying/graduating in Wales and starting her masters mentioning that the University she attends, Swansea University, had a marine biology program that was top notch. And oh boy is it! I got in! Oh boy I got in! That was an exciting bit of joy after a year of prepping and planning, 23 and finally going to Uni. Past relationships matured me, my son (who just turned 4) is now my new inspiration to push myself forward.....I worked 3 jobs to save up for my plane ticket, my suitcases, tuition, and visa/passport. All to get to Wales and realize that I could be a marine biologist, didn't matter my age, just my ambition! But........... I missed my family. I still do. First semester was the hardest, let me tell you. I suffered some pretty bad depression and just buried my head in the sand when it came to socialising and meeting people so I wouldn't be lonely. And I did meet an amazing crew of people, my flat mate included, who tried their damn best to keep my mind centered and focus me on the fact that though I had to leave my child behind for a year, I was doing it so that one day he wouldn't have to struggle like I did to get the money to go to uni. He could just go. Screw the naysayers who made me feel like I was a terrible mother. He is with his father who loves him (my ex is a great dad) and family who cares for him while I'm getting everything set so he can come here after christmas this year! 2017 will be tough but 2018 isn't so far away! I call him every chance I get, and he's my smart kid! In my sadness, and between my studies I joined a society! (Essentially a club/*cough*it's a cult*cough*) Tolkein Society, filled with some of THE most amazing nerds, and where I happily spend my Sundays! Love me my nerds, Love my Dwarf, and I'm happy/not so depressed anymore thanks to my crew! But that's a bit for next time I think.... That's a good summary of the last 7 months and part of the before, Enough about me though, for now anyway! ;) Sincerely, Your Reforming Colonial