trippin' part 5: me and the aquarium

If there is magic on this planet

it is contained in water

- Loren Eiseley

This trip was a lot about me - and 'me, myself and I' doing all my favorite things and being by myself doing it. Have you noticed? Yeah. I'm really not used to doing things like this. But man . . . I gotta tell ya . . . it was really nice. :) Zac was in work-mode most of the time. Either in the conference meetings, thinking about the meetings, talking about the meetings, or hanging out with coworkers who were also there for the meetings. And me? I was on my own for most of the time.

It made me laugh when his coworkers sometimes asked me if I was bored by this. HA! Even if I had nowhere to go, and nothing to do (which was nothing further from the truth), there is no way I could ever be bored when I've brought my books, journal, laptop and have a swimming pool nearby. Seriously.



But put me within walking distance of the National Aquarium of Baltimore ?!? (and driving distance to my home, of course) and I am in paradise.

(the aquarium is in the pointy glass roofs in the upper left of this pic, by the red #4, as seen from the pool balcony of our hotel)



I have just a slight obssession with dolphins, you see (for those that don't already know). I have collected dolphin figurines since I was about 12. And I used to have dreams all the time about swimming with dolphins. One of the many things I thought I might want to be when I grew up was a dolphin trainer/researcher. And when my family bought a membership to the Aquarium when I was in high school, I was just about in heaven. I love this place.
And so, of course, being in Baltimore and right by the aquarium, of course of course of course I had to go.

I saw lots of interesting fish, rays, anenomes, octopus, sharks, sea turtles and jelly fish.
But. The dolphins. Yes. Dolphins!!!
:)

I probably spent at least a couple hrs in front of the big observation window, taking pictures every time they got close. Crowds of people would come and go, come and go. And I would stay and sit by myself and happily watch.


They also had a pretty cool dolphin show - although it was tricky trying to get a photo of them jumping out of the water.

But then I went back to the big window again. And watched some more.

And that afternoon I went back to my hotel and took a wonderful long nap - and dreamt again about swimming with dolphins. Which is the best. dream. ever. :)

(me on a different day when I had Zac take my picture outside)