Alana Meyer Blog Feb 25, 2014 ex 2

On advocating for yourself and your needs:
     This expedition in particular I felt like I should have advocated for some more time to talk. I also feel that even though I did advocate, we were so busy getting scuba certified that it was tricky fitting it in even at the end of the day. I had a lot of stuff to talk about and I did not get enough time to talk about all the issues that I was having. I think that I just needed a good talk to vent and get everything off of my chest.
      Next time I should probably advocate more specifically for what I need, when I would need it, and how someone can help me. I wanted to talk however everything sorta started building up and everything just ended up exploding at the end of the expedition. Next time I need to talk to someone I will, and I will not push away my feelings, meaning bottling them up.
       I think that I will try and practice that both this base phase and next expedition. It is an important skill to learn and by talking to people the stress does not build up in me.

Keys trip with scuba:)

For our second ex we went the Keys. When we got to the keys we stayed at a KOA. The KOA had a bait shop with a dock to fish of off. There was also a pool with hot tub but it was closed. When we got there is was 74 degrees and sunny. On the second day it was sunny till the evening and then it started to storm. When we got to the back 40 which was the place in the KOA that we stayed at and the boys got into the tent and girls did something else. The storm was scary and the winds were really strong. The same day we did some of the tests for scuba diving. The next it was still pretty cloudy and a little chilly in the morning. We did our two confined dives to practice the skills we learned. The person’s name who we did scuba diving with was named JB and she was really cool and she helped me through a lot of things. When we were under water I freaked out on some things and she helped me through it. 

jakes blog keys

Jake.l soar blog 2013 the keys

 

This expedition was amazing!!!!! We got to fish, and went scuba diving and snorkeling at Looe key coral reef, and went lobstering  at the blowout.  We went to crazy restaurants like No Name Pub, and the Hungry Tarpon. We went to the turtle hospital. I saw tons of awesome fish like Lion Fish, Midnight Parrot Fish, Goliath Grouper, Damsel Fish Spotted Eagle Rays. We also got hit by a crazy storm. There was lots of lightning like heat lightning and tons of rain.

Getting scuba certified

So this expedition we went to the keys. The first thing we did was start scuba school with JB (Janis Broadwater) the scuba momma. Then we got into the pool and started practicing procedures and getting used to the gear. Then the next day we took a big test that we all aced. Then the day after that we took a boat out to the coral reefs and went under water to scuba dive. We practiced a bunch of procedures and followed JB around and she showed us around the reef a bit. We also saw a goliath grouper under the boat but I was freezing my butt off. Then the next day which was the big day where we prove our selves as responsible scuba divers. That day we took like an under water test and while I was waiting for others to finish I explored the area and I loved it. And when we were about to practice navigation we saw a sting ray. Then the next day we graduated and took are pics for are licenses.  

Florida Keys- Erika

Erika DeBrabander

2/24/14

They keys have been so memorable. I did the same expedition last year, but I didn’t have that great of a time. This expedition is mostly based around getting your scuba certification. Well last year I had a panic attack my first dive which made the experience pretty lousy. This year I pushed through my anxieties and fears and discovered how unique and beautiful being underwater is. Needless to say I completed the course and got my open water certification. I never thought something I detested so much would become something I love. Maybe I’m too excited about it but it’s just a reminder that life gives you second chances for a reason. I was given a second chance to scuba dive and I took it and it turned out that scuba diving and being underwater was exactly what I needed. It turned all my worries and anxieties into just thoughts. They were thoughts that didn’t matter underwater because I’m in a whole new world.

expedition 1 by Fuller.s

Expedition 1

This expedition we went to the Ever Glades and paddled for five days with one rest day. Let me tell you what happened on this ex. So first we paddled to the Lopez River. Then we did some school work about Watsons place, and apparently there was a man who lived there named Mr. Watson and he would have people work for him but when they asked for their pay he would kill them and bury them on his land. Then the next day we paddled to Mr. Watsons place and it was a really pretty place and it wasn’t that bad.

Also by this time I made a special raccoon defense system that I can tell you about later. So that night we ran into the problem that the tides where really bad so we had to stay longer. So the next day we did not paddle. We had a rest day. So we did a bunch of school and went fishing and explored. But you see we caught this fish and we were dissecting it for science but then all the sudden there was this creepy choking sound in the woods and all the trees where rustling. It was big and strong and it got closer and closer and then everything stopped and then it was silent. We heard it again that night and the next day we left for Rabit Key.

At Rabit Key we got a bunch of school done and we went fishing. Then the next day we paddled to picnic key and that night the raccoons were bad. But that night they didn’t get a single drop of water or crumb of food. This is how we did it and that night the raccoons where hungry.

<                                                     this was supposed to be a pic of a canoe on top of our stuff but the pic didn't com over to blogger :(

                                                                 

The next day we paddled back to the ranger station and started traveling back home. The next day we swam with manatees and it was awesome. They would just love allover you and it was adorable but Sam cheated because he had lettuce in his pocket. The next day we went to manatee springs and we did a service project which was cleaning sea lettuce out of the springs. Also that night we were doing our regular nighttime roles and I was cooking diner but then I heard a rustling in the grass and it just kept getting closer. So I was freaking out thinking it was a boar. So I hopped on top of the trailer to see what it was and then everybody came over. Sam even had his knife out and then a little armadillo popped out of the bushes and stared at us and started running away, and we chased him for a little and we got back to what we were doing. Then the day after that we were on the road back to base.

Alana Meyer Feb 7,2014

 When I first came, the positive qualities that I brought to the table were ones of creativity, the ability to be able to learn new things, and the intent of having a positive attitude. These qualities have not only helped me maintain a positive outlook on the expeditions, but also have helped me learn new outdoor skills. I have been able to learn from past mistakes and the new qualities that came from them. I believe my greatest challenge to be, in a broad statement, facing fears. More specifically the judgment of the real me. I think that I fear that the problem or fear, or challenge, whatever you want to assess it as, is the fear of not fitting in. However with the qualities that I brought to the table, I am working on the challenge at hand.