ess grad student retreat

every year the ess grad students (earth and space science), get together at friday harbor in the san juan islands for a healthy dose of island living, beer, and camaraderie. it's usually in february and it is usually pouring rain with 25 mph wind. this year it was sunny, gorgeous, and 55 degrees. in short, it was perfect.

aaron and i brought our bikes to the island and went on a short bike ride (about 12 miles) to the winery on the island. the sun was on our backs and the views were incredible (you'll have to take my word, because we forgot the camera). about 9 miles into our ride, we were a bit sleepy, so we pulled off the road at egg lake and took a nap on the dock. we woke up a short time later and continued our journey to the san juan vineyards. we pulled up some chairs on the porch and had a few leisurely glasses of wine in the bright sunshine.

  (green dot = dorms, blue dot = egg lake, red dot = winery)

that night was a late night involving lots of hard cider, games, a cozy fire, and lots of conversation and laughs. scientists are a fun group.

sunday we left the island and headed to bellevue, where we said goodbye to our friends wes and jenni thelen. wes has received his phd in ess and accepted a job in vancouver, wa. it is time to face facts...our friends are quickly earning their phds and leaving for new adventures. soon it will be our turn. this will be bittersweet. i adore seattle and all of our friends here, but it will be exciting to start anew somewhere else. it's fun to think about where we will be and what our life will be like in a few years.