Winter Break: Part 2. Also, Departure.

Break: Part 2. 

Let's do this quickly; I've pulled a Nikki and have just finished packing about 30 minutes before I'm set to get on a bus that will take me to the airport--to get on a plane that will take me to Costa Rica, where I will be until almost June.

Places?
Pomona College and Mt.Baldy, Orange County and Crystal Cove, Santa Barbara and Big Sur, Monterrey, Bay Area, Eugene and Spencer's Butte, Portland, Wilamette wilderness and the McKenzie Trail, Umpqua Wilderness, Crater Lake, Mt.Shasta and Castle Lake---then back to Tennessee Valley this morning and the bay all day. God, I love San Francisco.

I have no time to detail all the awesome that occurred in all the places. 

Because my friends like to do culinary highlights on their study abroad blogs, I would have to say that my top three meals were...

-Homemade Italian Wedding Soup: celery leaves, celery, spinach, carrots, meatballs made with vidalia onion, tarragon, bay leaves, pepper, egg and chicken broth.

-A leige waffle covered in avocado, goat cheese, fresh basil, two sunny-side-up eggs, and paprika and cracked pepper. 

-Lavender. Goat Cheese. With -lavender-. Changed my life.

Animal highlights?

Went to the Oakland Zoo to visit the new baby giraffe today. (It really pays to work at zoos, guys.) Saw a Snowy Owl north of Odell Lake in Wilamette, elevation about 3800 ft, got to skype my friend who has HENRY (the best), and got to see a barn owl and rough-skinned newt breeding season in the rain this morning.

I MUST GO. Oh my gosh. It's a real thing. I'm going to COSTA RICA tomorrow.

Peace out, America. Enjoy the pictures, kids---I don't have time to caption them now, or probably ever. I will be too busy running around with the birds in the forest.

Cheers!