The Aquarium and the Marine Biologist

My brother and I have always had a good relationship. We've been friends since I can remember. Sure, we fought. Sure, he pushed me into the flower pot in grandma's backyard. Sure, we did all the usual stuff that siblings do. But Kevin holds a very special place in my heart, and there's nothing he can do to change that.

I'm going down to California tonight to spend the weekend in Monterey with my mom and brother. My family has a lot of memories in Monterey. Growing up, we lived about an hour away - so we were fortunate enough to get yearly memberships to the aquarium. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is one of the most amazing places! Rich with color and texture, this is where Kevin taught me about marine life. Where I followed him around when we were little asking questions about how fish breathe and where they sleep (some wrap themselves in kelp to stay put). I have so many special memories of climbing rocks along the ocean, poking starfish and sea anemone in the tide pools, and strolling along cannery row. We haven’t been back in years, and because we've always lived near by we've never actually stayed in the night in Monterey. So I'm glad to go back this weekend. Looking forward to the break from this crazy Portland heat wave, and some more Marine Biology 101 with Professor Shiraz, and maybe a quick stop at Dennis the Menace Park if we're lucky.