Back from Caribbean, off to North Carolina

Hi all!
We're now back from the Caribbean, after six weeks of adventure. We're super busy packing for our cross-country move (the truck arrived today!). Just wanted to share some pictures from the islands we visited. Enjoy!

This picture is of 11-Mile Beach on the island of Barbuda. When you get up close, the beach sand looks pink because of the many crushed pink shells. We explored all along this beach and even found some turtle tracks where a turtle had come to lay her eggs. Very exciting!!

This is a photo I took at a botanical garden on the French island of Guadeloupe. The flower petals are all very hard and waxy!

Here's an example of the crazy tree roots we saw on a paddle upriver on the island of Dominica.

Falmouth Harbor, Antigua

Well, it's been about a month since our last post, and a lot has happened! We left our jobs in California and set out to visit family in the caribbean for a couple months. Right now we're in Antigua, where a classic yacht regatta is currently taking place- there are some gorgeous sailboats here!! Anyhow, I'm writing this from a little bar which also serves as an internet cafe- so I can't attach any pictures now. But we'll get some pics up as soon as possible!! I've got to go for now because folks are about to start a hike up one of the mountains here. More later!
-Noëlle

Back from East Coast

Just a quick update- after looking at 5 different graduate programs in 6 days (in 5 different states!) we're back in CA and planning our next moves. At this point it looks like I'll be choosing to study for my Environment PhD at Duke University- I'm very excited!!! It is a great program- I'll be studying at the main campus for one year and at then I'll finish the last four years at their marine lab studying coastal and ocean policy. You can check out Duke's school of the environment here and the marine lab here.
-Noëlle

East Coast Trip Coming Up

Hi everyobody! I'm really just testing to see how to add a post. Noëlle and I are really busy getting ready for the Top Secret east coast trip. Today is Tuesday, we're leaving Saturday. Right now I am dealing with the hassle of getting Ital's papers in order before we can take him to Paradise Ranch (a cat boarding place). Lot's of fun and excitement coming up... we'll keep everyone updated!

-Cory

what 2007 brings...

Many changes are in store for us this year!

For our friends and family who we've been out of touch with for awhile, here's a quick recap of our story and how we've ended up where we are now... Cory and I met in the summer of 2004 while we were each visiting our respective families on their live-aboard sailboats in the country of St. Vincent & the Grenadines. At the time, I was a student at the University of California, Santa Barbara and Cory had been living and working in the U.S. Virgin Islands for about five years. After a week of sailing, snorkeling, and swimming, I flew back to California to finish the last year of my environmental studies degree at UCSB and Cory sailed on with his parents to Grenada.

Fast forward through a year of hurricanes, phone calls, and few-and-far-between visits, and Cory and I ended up moving together to Los Angeles where I found a job writing environmental impact reports with an environmental consulting firm. Neither of us loves Los Angeles though (smog, high rents, waay too many cars), so we've been planning our escape from the concrete jungle ever since!

Okay, so with that long-story-short version of where we are now, here's where we're going:
...Actually, we don't know exactly where we're going! That's because I've applied to several graduate schools (to get a PhD in marine policy) and I'm still waiting to hear back from most of them. However, they all happen to be on the east coast of the U.S., so we know that we'll be making a move cross-country this summer. Since we'll be moving this summer so I can go back to school (for a long time!), we've decided to quit our jobs in April and do some traveling before finding a new place to call home.

-Noëlle