Home in Hilo

Aloha Everyone, Unfortunately, I will be leaving tomorrow morning to do my online learning from home. UH has decided to move all classes online for the remainder of the semester, so I have decided to go home in case of a lockdown or if campus closes. I am very sad to go, but it will keep me and those around me more safe. While our lab time was cut short, there were still plenty of pictures to choose from. I have included below a link to a few that I think are very cool. I will miss going out on the boat and seeing the whales (despite the seasickness). It was an incredible opportunity. Aloha, Kate https://photos.app.goo.gl/jj3FKwXcgA1Yz4Gz8  Disclaimer- most of these photos were not taken by me, just others in my class :)

Hello Everyone! All of my midterms went well and so far my spring break has been relaxing- aside from the construction outside of my dorm :) As you know, COVID-19 is a big issue right now. UH has elected to go online until April 13th. However, they are not closing campus and campus buildings and offices will remain open during the three weeks we are online. Thankfully, this does not affect me too greatly, as most of the classwork can easily be done online, but online learning will be new for me. So far, there are only 10 confirmed cases in Hawaii, none of which are on the Big Island, so I'm safe for now. Thankfully, it is easy for me to practice social distancing for now because it is spring break and my friends aren't on campus this week. Social distancing is important not only to protect yourself, but to protect others that may be immunocompromised and that you may infect unknowingly. However, there are still many activities you can partake in while practicing social dista

Hello everyone! I am right in the middle of midterms this week. I won't have a test in geology until after break and physics doesn't give a midterm test, but I have exams for the rest! While studying is important, it is also important that you take time for yourself and relax so stress doesn't build up. One of my favorite ways to relax (besides napping) is to hang out with friends, so Thursday, Friday, and Saturday I set aside some time to spend with them. On Thursday, we took advantage of the free classes offered by the fitness center and I tried kickboxing followed by a HIIT class. The instructors are great and work with you to make sure you're comfortable and getting the most out of the class. Unfortunately, going from nothing to two classes in a row didn't do my legs any favors and they're still pretty sore even now. But hey, that means I was working, right? On Friday, we decided to go to the mall and see a movie. I enjoyed walking around and visiting the

Hello everyone! I am now officially a SCUBA open water diver! We did our ocean dives yesterday and today to finish up the certification. On Saturday, we went to the Kona pier to dive. The entrance is right in Kona town and it's a walk-in entry on a small beach. We did two separate dives down to 17 feet and just practiced skills. Today, we went to Two Step, a popular diving and snorkel site in Captain Cook. It is aptly named for the natural rock formation used as an entry and exit point that is shaped like two large steps. This area is much deeper and we reached 35 feet. We performed two dives here as well, but the first was a skills dive and the second was an 'explore the site' dive. We saw lots of coral, all kinds of fish, a few sea cucumbers, a ton of sea urchins, and even a baby turtle and a moray eel! Entry and exit was a little difficult due to the gear and the crowds, but there weren't many divers out which made it easier to practice. Our dive master took photos

Hello all! Hilo has a lot of gorgeous beach parks along the bay. Today my friends and I went to Richardson's to snorkel, explore, and relax. These beach parks are apparently the place to be on the weekend because it was packed! Many families were gathered under canopies, having picnics and enjoying the clear water. Richardson's is made of a partially protected cove, so it is a great place for swimming, snorkeling, and body boarding or surfing all in one. The snorkeling there was really great- I saw a large variety of fish, including angelfish, yellow tangs, parrot fish, and even a few Humuhumunukunukuapua'a, which is the Hawaii state fish. My friend even managed to find an octopus! Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the fish because I forgot my camera again, but I promise I'll remember it one day. Many of the beach parks also house areas where sea turtles can rest during the day away from the pounding waves. There is an area like this at Richardson's, and we w

Hello everyone! This weekend marked the start of my scuba diving course! In case you didn't know, scuba diving is a water activity in which divers use compressed air to breathe underwater. This allows divers to stay down much longer, dive deeper, and explore more than someone breathing from the surface. I figured that if I were to get my scuba certification, it would be best to do it here, where I can actually dive in the ocean instead of a lake or river (and it's much cheaper through UH!!). The course I am taking is the basic Open Water Diving Certification. Upon completion of the course, I am certified to dive up to 60 ft underwater, which is great for recreational and possibly scientific use. The past two days, we learned to read dive tables, how to put together and disassemble our equipment, and practiced a variety of skills needed to become a successful scuba diver. We completed 5 confined water dives, which took place in the campus pool. The hardest thing to get used t