July update: what I've been up to

Well, it's been a while since I've updated this blog, but I've had what I think amounts to a good excuse for that.  I've been viewing nature, for example, in Sitka, Alaska, at the St. Lazaria puffin colony, I took this picture:

When I wasn't out looking at nature, I was spending time with family and making new friends on what turned out to be a wonderful cruise on the Amsterdam.  The cruise in total lasted two weeks and I have quite a few adventures to show for that time in our country's northernmost state.  Here's what I was up to:

• Ketchikan, Alaska: 6 mile roundtrip hike up Deer Mountain
• This hike was a bit challenging, seeing as it involved going up and coming down a mountain, and we weren't able to make it up to the summit due to rain and the fact that wet icy snow and tennis shoes don't mix well, but it was still a lot of fun.

• Sitka, AK: 5 miles of walking through the city and Sitka state historic park.  I also went on a boat ride to St. Lazaria island where I took the puffin picture above.
• One of the best boat trips I've ever taken and really a chance to see nature at it's best.  It's a shame that I had to come so far to see it but it was worth every mile.

• Itinerary to be continued, as I now have to go to bed in preparation for a foray into some of the best nature that Long Beach has to offer, the LA river bike path.

 In other news, "Camp Footprints", a volunteer camp that really made an impact on my life so far, is coming up in a couple of weeks and I am going to be a team leader.  With prep for camp and designing a website for my mom's office, I definitely have my work cut out for me for the rest of the summer, but these tasks also promise to be a lot of fun and a great learning experiences.