Trying something new may be exiting, scary, uncertain, or exhilarating.  Sometimes we may not know how to feel.  Well, I tried something new this summer.  I am teaching a marine biology class!  It has taken me a great deal of time to decide what to included.  The class needed to be interesting to students and valuable to their parents.  I am teaching the class during a six week summer academy which parents pay for.  I knew I wanted to conduct dissections, take field trips, make observations of marine life, and instill a love for the oceans in the students.  I set high standards and so far the class is going well, I am in the second week. 

Trying something new can also be a lot of work, and this certainly has been so far.  The work is worth it.  That is the most important point.  President Theodore Roosevelt said, “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty… I have never in my life envied a human being who led an easy life. I have envied a great many people who led difficult lives and led them well.”  I absolutely agree.  So, I will choose to do what takes effort, creates pain, and is difficult... because it is worth it!

This location is a national park.  It is not a state park, or a local park.  This park contains rivers, streams, tree and mountains.  It is located within 1,000 miles of the Los Angeles area.  This park also contains an active volcano.  It's most recent eruption was witnessed in 1894.  This park has many alpine wild flowers in the spring and summer months.

Where do you think I am going?