A delicious aroma wafted from the abundance of flickering, scented candles that cast a warm light inside my aunts cozy northwestern-modern dwelling.  The house somehow held a friendly, comfortable ambiance that made you feel welcome and safe.  As we walked out the door, relatives wished us a wonderful, safe trip.  I smiled and said thanks, but it hadn’t really hit me that we would be in a totally new, foreign place in less than 24 hours.  My parents had spent months preparing this trip down to the every last detail, while this trip had barely become a reality to me.  It seemed unfair: who was I to be going on this once in a lifetime trip?  I, who had barely thought about this life-changing trip, did not deserve such an amazing experience.  I felt like an ungrateful, spoiled brat.  Suddenly I was filled with rage and sadness at myself for being unappreciative, and in confusion for how I got so fortunate in the lottery of life while others struggle just getting food on the table.

With these thoughts washed ashore, I awoke Saturday morning and spent the entirety of the day either packing or procrastinating until it was time to leave for the airport.  Unlike the great majority of people, I absolutely love airports.  They are the gateway between alien destinations, yet they somehow provide a sense of home and comfort.  As for airplanes, a complex system of life is created in a metal tube 30,000 feet up.  The strangers in your row almost become your second family, from timing bathroom breaks as to not disturb their sleep, to swapping meal food, to sharing pens.

After four flights, a short boat ride, a taxi ride, and a long, sea-sickening boat ride, we arrive at Isabela Island in the Galapagos.  We stayed in the beautiful Iguana Crossing hotel.  It was no huge resort, there weren’t any of those in the Galapagos Islands, but hosted a dozen modern beachy-chic rooms.  Aside from a 10 mile hike around the Sierra Negra Volcano and an exquisite snorkeling excursion to Los Tuneles, most of our time was spent taking beach walks, relaxing by the beach and pool, or exploring the small town of Peurto Villamil.  We were in for a surprise when we discovered a Christmas Eve celebration with dancing, singing and fun children's activities.  We settled into a charming open-air grill with tables perched on lava rocks for the perfect view of the town square, where the festival was being held.

The next morning, Christmas day, we rose bright and early.  A white taxi picked us up and drove us through the 5am streets of Peurto Villamill, stopping at hotels to pick up other tourists  headed for the two hour boat ride to Santa Cruz Island.  There were only five seats in the truck, four of them we occupied, and one for the driver, so everyone else was thrown in the back with the luggage.  The speed boat was large enough to fit about 10 people but they squished as many people as they could into the boat in order to maximize their income.  The boat had a small upper deck where the captain sat in his makeshift seat made of a recycled car seat that was completely rusted.  We sat in a bench behind him, which I thought to be the best seats in the house, however after two hours of frigid wind and sitting next to an unkempt man taking up much more space than needed, I wasn’t so sure about it.  When we arrived in Puerto Ayora, the largest town in the Galapagos Islands, but still a small town of only 20,000 residents, we checked into our hotel and to take a cat nap.  This “cat nap” turned into a several hour nap.  It felt as though we had wasted a huge chunk of our day, but I guess it was important to get rest, especially after many exhausting days.  We settled into a nearby ocean-view restaurant for lunch, which was very enjoyable, until part way through a wave of sickness broke over me.  Consequently, the remainder of the day I spent resting inside the hotel.

The following day in Puerto Ayora was much more eventful.  We stopped by the local fish market where several pelicans and a seal stood watching the fishmonger's’ every move, all with the same goal: getting a bite of fish.  Next we took a short hike to a beautiful canyon filled with magnificently blue colored water and took a refreshing swim.  The water was pristine--very deep but crystal clear so you could see fish swimming at the very bottom.  There were about 30 other people there, most of them being local families, which made us feel a little like outsiders, but that sure didn’t stop the fun.  On the way back we stopped at a beautiful hotel for lunch at their amazing restaurant overlooking the beautiful turquoise water that filled the bay.  Our final stop of the day was an exquisite beach called Tortuga Bay.  Considering the reasonably long walk to get there, I was surprised to see so many people, especially families with many kids, at the beach.  In a more protected swimming area just a little ways down the beach, we spotted many baby hammerhead sharks.  Many people, my dad included, desperately chased the sharks with their camera’s hoping to get one good shot.

The next day was spent traveling to Baltra island, where we met the other 12 people on the seven day cruise around the Galapagos Islands.  There were three other families of four on board the beautiful Ocean Spray Boat with us--we couldn’t have gotten any luckier.  The week was full of making unforgettable memories, making life-long friendships, and learning captivating things about nature, geology and wildlife.  Highlights of the cruise include exquisite snorkeling filled with colorful fish and playful sea lions swimming right up to you, and swimming among a seemingly infinite school of fish surrounded by penguins fishing and fishing and diving pelicans nearby.  Watching a huge pod of dolphins put on a show for us--jumping and flipping high into the air and swimming right under our boat, even giving us a little splash--was another amazing moment.  Another highlight was viewing the entire birthing of a baby sea lion just a few feet away from us.  Jumping off the top of the boat was another fun challenge that many of the kids and a few adults faced.

One of my personal favorite moments was participating in a soccer game with local kids on New Years Eve.  While the kids were exploring the town of Peurto Ayora, we passed by a small cement court where local boys probably between the age of 10-15 battled each other in a game of soccer.  One girl in our pack, an avid soccer player, suggested we go play with them.  I am usually not a super bold and bubbly person, but do like to “take advantage of opportunities” and “seize the moment” so I excitedly exclaimed, “Yeah, let’s do it!”.  While some other kids were uneasy about it, once some of the group had started walking towards the court, everyone joined in.  We uneasily approached them until I got up the courage to ask one of the boys who had run off in our direction to retrieve the ball if we could play.  Soon, after we had taken a photo with them, we were out on the court playing with them.  Despite the fact I have no idea how to play soccer, and wasn’t completely sure what team I was on, the boys were delighted to have foreigners playing with them, and were especially surprised and excited that white girls in dresses were playing soccer.  It required taking a step outside my comfort zone in asking the boys to play soccer but the outcome was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience.  This will serve as a lesson for me that I will carry forever: going out of your comfort zone, while it can be scary, creates some of the most amazing memories.

It’s always sad leaving such a great place and returning to our dull, routine daily lives.  In fact, I spent large portion of our journey home crying--about the magical animal oasis I will most likely never return to, about the amazing people I most likely will never cross paths with again, and about the horrors I would face upon my return home (school).  But, as hard as it may be, returning home brings you back down to Earth and makes these trips that much more special and unique, and fills you with gratitude and appreciation for the precious planet we have.