First Time Experiences

The first day of Catalina, we went snorkeling, which was a very interesting and scary experience. I was able to identify new species as we learned about them and I was able to go snorkeling for the first time. The food was delicious and I enjoyed eating and talking with my friends. We played lots of fun games that allowed us to build new connections with people that we normally don’t talk to. We were surrounded with strangers from other schools and we got to make new friends. We also went stargazing and laid on top of a tarp while our instructors told stories. Overall, it was an amazing trip and I had a lot of fun with my friends.

~ Kharisma

Fun and Educational

When we first arrived at Catalina Island everyone was sea sick and ready to go to bed, but first we have to go snorkeling. The snorkeling was fun and by the end it wasn’t very cold. After dinner we learned about the natives of the island and sat around the camp fire. Over the next few days we continued to do more activities on and around the island, including kayaking, hiking, night snorkeling and learning about the animals around us. This trip has been very fun and educational and I wish we could stay longer.

~ Florence

Fun but Cold

When we arrived at Catalina, everyone was sea sick due to the rocky boat ride. The first activity we participated in was snorkeling, which was really fun but cold. Then we got ready and headed to dinner. After a dinner of pasta we enjoyed a campfire with our classmates. Over the week we got to do activities like snorkeling, kayaking, rock climbing, ropes courses, and eating (which was the best)! During Catalina it was cool to experience new things with my 8^th grade class!

~ Estelle

A Great Experience

On the first day of Catalina, we arrived to camp and the first thing we did was get to explore the island. After we got to know the island more, the first activity we did was snorkel around Catalina Island and get familiar with the water. After snorkeling, we ate dinner and sat around the campfire singing songs. After the first day, we did a lot of snorkeling, kayaking, rock climbing, ropes courses, and having fun! Catalina has been a great experience for the 8^th grade class and I would go again if I could!

~ Julianna

Swimming With Sharks

Over the past few days we have done many cool things that I have haven’t done in a while. We went snorkeling and saw some of the coolest fish, even the California garibaldi fish. We have gone rock climbing, kayaking and hiking. Our latest activity was a kayak snorkel, we went kayaking to a nearby cove, Emerald Bay and then snorkeling. The water there was a beautiful emerald color. The water there was so clear that we saw 5 huge bat rays. Oh and we swam with sharks! (Little horn sharks, and I saw a leopard shark swim by too!) I had a lot of fun rock climbing and challenged myself to complete all three walls. So far I have had a lot of fun! See you soon!

~ Laura

Island Life

On the first days activities we took a tour and snorkeled. Snorkeling was the best because we saw many creatures including the islands own Garibaldi. To finish the night we played a game called song wars around the fire circle. The next day we started the day with a good pancake breakfast and a very long hike. All for now...

~ Tafari

Challenge

My first three days at Catalina were good. I learned how to snorkel and I learned how to kayak. The kayaking gave me a huge tan. When I was snorkeling I saw a shark and an orange fish called a garibaldi. I also get really cold when I snorkel so I’ll be freezing when I come out the water. Also with the kayaking my arms got pretty sore because of the rowing back and forth. It was probably the most challenging activity on the entire  trip. In continuation Catalina has been fun so far and I will continue to enjoy it.

~ Anthony

Majestic Catalina

My three days on Catalina so far have been majestic. I went snorkeling for the first time and I was pretty successful. We also rock climbed and that was something new for me, and in my opinion I thought I did great. One of the things I am most happy about is the fact that I have slept great everyday. One of the most challenging parts of the trip was kayaking to Emerald Bay. On the way there the wind and current were going in the other direction of us. My partner also got tired and had to stop many times. As a result I found my self rowing by myself much of the trip. Other than that everything has been great. It is currently Thursday at 6:32 AM and I am really tired.

~ Teddye

Comfort Zone

During our trip to Catalina we have gotten to experience many new things. These things challenged us and pushed us out of our comfort zones, while doing that we also had lots of fun. We have gone snorkeling 3 times so far and have seen many sea creatures, this was personally out of my comfort zone. We also did kayaking and hiking. We were lucky enough to be able to see and touch an octopus and some leopard print sharks. We learned about these creatures and then were able to see them up close. The hiking made it possible to see beautiful views and the clear ocean. Our class has gotten closer and experienced nerve-racking things together. We are happy to be near the ocean and sand, and to be able to spend time with our teachers and friends.

~ Lucy

A Reflection From An In Person Guy

We started our trip on a disgusting boat. I threw up my burrito all over the carpet. I could feel the chicken and beans spewing out from me. When we arrived we got to go snorkeling. There weren’t as many fish as I would have expected. The next day we went on a extremely cold kayaking trip. I didn’t find it very fun. It was very cold but also very tiring.

~ Jay

Cece Is A Winner!

Hello I have had a good time at Catalina. We did a lot of swimming and snorkeling. I think that it was a lot of fun spending time with my classmates. Today we went snorkeling and then we went to the rock climbing wall and did some climbing. Then we did some trust exercises like being blindfolded and have our partners give us directions as we threw balls at other people. I won cause I’m just a winner in general.

~ Cece

Fun Times at Catalina

On our trip to Catalina Island we have experienced many challenges like rock climbing, snorkeling during the day and night (which was really scary) kayaking and hiking. I have been lucky to see many fish like leopard sharks, ghirabaldi fish and octopus. We have been able to connect with the ocean and learn about all the animals we see. I am truly grateful to be able to experience new things and be in a different environment. I am having a great time and cant wait for all the things that are ahead of us this week.

~ Fatima

Gratitude

On our trip to Catalina, I have really been able to bond with my classmates in a way that is more personal than ever before. We have gone snorkeling three times and during each one our group has gone farther and deeper under the water. My instructor has taught me so much about the life under the water and really helped me appreciate everything that nature does to maintain itself. I have been on a field trip for several days now and nothing too eventful has happened!

~ Sophia

Catalina Captured Concisely!

Today was very adventurous, we got to go kayaking in the ocean, and I had a lot of water fights with Todd and Tafari, we also went on a long hike where we played who am I and the game was where you write answers to questions and later people guess who wrote those answers. So far today I drank 2.5 litres of water. For lunch I had two burritos and later today we will do a night snorkel and I am going to shiver away. So far I have seen a ferial cat named Diddy and saw one fox under a cabin. We learned about cool plants that are native and invasive to Catalina Island.

~ Nika

So Far...

Yesterday all of us rolled out of bed, put on our plane clothes and sleepily got into our cars. In the next 5 hours we would endure the gross snacks on the plane, their plane buddy, and last but not least the disgusting conditions of the boat ride. The boat ride was the worst, people were throwing up left and right and I think I even threw up a little over the side. James tried to help, obviously he failed because the gross ginger candy made us even more sick. As we stumbled off the boat, sick, sun burnt, and tired, we saw the beautiful island that was before us, and then they put us to work. We had to take everyone’s luggage off the boat one at a time. It was hard. We split into groups and toured the camp and we got settled into our cabins. When we went snorkeling, it was freezing but we saw many fish and coral. We had a pretty good (not great) lunch of (I think) chicken burgers. Delicious! We played Volleyball with some kids from Portland. Then the dinner bell rang and we were herded into a line. I had pesto and alfredo sauce. We sat around a camp fire and sung songs. The night in our cabin was surprisingly quiet. In the morning I got up early and sat on the beach. I watched the sun rise over the water. For breakfast I had bacon, cereal, and melon. Florence and I were in a kayak together and the waves were very choppy. We witnessed James splashing innocent children and then Todd’s kayak tipped over. Karma. We then had a good lunch of burritos and then went on a beautiful hike on the island. The dinner bell just rang and I am not sure what we are having. Bye!

~ Ivy

A Play By Play

For about the first time in my life I was waking my parents up. Crazy, right? It was 4:45 and my parents were still stuck in bed, blissfully snoozing. When my dad finally woke up, I’m pretty sure he forgot about the “You shall be there no later than 5:30” warning, because as of 5:10 he was making a smoothie knowing full well that a) we had to be there by 5:30, and b) that it would take us 30 minutes to get to the airport. Naturally, I go to the best way to annoy a parent into getting what you want. Panicking. So there I am panicking and screaming at my dad that we are going to be late while he makes a morning smoothie. After nagging my slow dad for what felt like forever, he finally left the house with me and arrived at the airport. Late. So we go to the Southwest terminal, looking for my class or a chaperone. Not a single soul in sight. Dad makes me jump out of the car and scour the terminals for my class. As I’m about to lose hope, I spot a man running in a red plaid shirt. “James!” I scream, not even knowing if its him and risking the embarrassment of mistaking a random person for someone I know. The person turns their head and I can only think of the embarrassment if that’s not James. “Bryce?” James shouts back. I run back to my dad's crappy Camry, grab my bags, scold him for being late, and then tell him bye. I run into the Southwest terminal and spy my class chatting away. As it turns out Estelle was late too, and Miles was waiting on a sleeping bag to arrive. Jay tells me my hair is interesting in the most Jay way possible, to which I just smile, and I practice small talk with Sarah while I mark my stow away bag. 30 – 45 minutes later I took some Dramamine for the upcoming boat trip, and the class was boarding the plane. I don’t remember much about the plane trip because I was slipping in and out of consciousness when it came to sleep, except that there were really good pretzels, we were allowed soda, and that I had a great time playing with the lights for the seats that were in front of me (Sophia and whoever else was in front of me had no idea what was going on) After a grueling 60 minute plane ride of pure Dramamine induced sleep we boarded a crappy small bus based off of a retired work truck which smelled of McDonalds. I don’t remember much of that for the exact same reasons, but as soon as we got off I dropped onto some Astroturf and slept. Next was by far the worst, the boat ride. I didn’t sleep on it because I had already slept off all my Dramamine, and other people weren’t fairing very well because of a choppy ride. Jay (who gloriously happened to be sitting next to me) was the first and thankfully the only person who happened to hurl. I remember seeing every bit of his burrito onto the 90’s era lookalike floor. Cece also wasn’t faring well, as she was curled up into the corner of the boat. Nisrine and Fatima were near the open doors to the deck of the boat as the needed fresh air to not hurl. Others were just looking at the horizon, eating ginger chews, or doing whatever else to keep them from meeting Jays fate. Thankfully everyone survived, but I’m pretty sure nobody felt more glad to feel new sand than me.

~ Bryce

Keeping it Real

We started our first full day by kayaking and relaxing on the coast of Catalina Island. I admired the pretty “emerald” color of the ocean and the rigid rocks. The waves were very rough and everyone was soaked by the end of our kayaking experience. We were also tired and cold. Right now, I am looking forward to a 3 hour hike and a night snorkel afterwards. I am also full from the bean and cheese burritos I had a few minutes ago. The food is surprisingly good and filling, but it is hard not having snacks in between meals. The bathrooms are very clean, except there is lots of dirt in the showers even though I haven’t taken one yet. I plan on taking a shower this evening after snorkeling. It is also very cold at night, I wore 2 sweatshirts night and it still didn’t keep me warm. However, I still had a very good sleep. As much as I love listening to the sound of the ocean waves while falling asleep, I miss my bed at home. The beds here are very hard and uncomfortable.

~ Vienna

Miles From Home!

Yesterday I got up at 4:00 and drowsily grabbed all my stuff, or so I thought. I rode to the airport half asleep and got out, the car drove off and I walked inside. Only a minute after the car left did I realize that I had completely forgotten my sleeping bag. I called my dad  to come around and he couldn’t make it. We went through security and got on the plane. The view from my seat in the back was amazing, I saw farmlands, mountain ranges, and rivers, I took photos of all of them. After the plane trip we waited for the bus at LAX, got in the bus, and headed to the boat terminal. We saw allot of factories and we were waiting for our boat directly under one of the largest shipping docks in the world. I drew one of the loading cranes while we waited for the boat. Finally we got on the boat and started off. At first the waves were mild and the views were amazing, but as time went on the waves got huge. I got very seasick and spent half the boat ride buckled over, nearly throwing up. We got off of that god awful boat and unloaded luggage and introduced ourselves to CELP staff. We then had lunch that was hamburgers and curly fries. We then split up into our two groups and got our cabin assignments. We met our staff coach for our group and went out snorkeling. Snorkeling was great, but I was freezing the whole time. I saw allot of garibaldi’s and a round stingray. We got out, I took a shower, and then we ate an amazing dinner consisting of pesto pasta and brownies. After dinner we took a walk and learned about Catalina’s native Pimavits and there history on this island. We then sat down by the campfire and spent a long time singing songs, learning stories and rhymes, and having fun competitions. After this I brushed my teeth, got in bed and finished my loading crane drawing, I then had to put in my earplugs and drown out the noises of ghost stories and snoring. I woke up this morning at 6:00 and went out for a walk, taking photos. I watched the sun rise over the water and saw a flock of quail and a few island foxes. Then I headed down to the Catalina’s and met up with Todd and James who had also woken up early, and we sat in the empty cafeteria as I wrote what you are reading now. 

~ Miles

Welcome to The Island!

Today was very eventful on our long and adventurous journey to Catalina Islands. The plane ride was very quick which was nice. When we landed we took a bus all the way to the Catalina boat terminal. There were singers among our class who sang on the bus. After we waited until our boat was ready to go. The boat ride was crazy bumpy, but we got to see dolphins and the view was pretty. When we got to the island, we settled in and got to be familiar with where we are staying. Finally we went for an orientation snorkel, which was really cool, because we saw the California state fish, which was great. To be continued tomorrow.

~ Nisrine

Jaheim's Catanila Journey Begins

So today started very well. I woke up at a reasonable time and location. I slept at Ivy’s house which made me happy because then my mom wouldn’t have to wake up so early to take me to the airport. Then once I got to the airport, I got to see more of my friends. We was all excited to go to Catalina because we heard of all the things that was going to happen. So when it was 6:30, we got on the plane as fast as we could traveling to L.A.X. where we would have to meet the boat to travel us to Catalina. I sat with my assigned partners Teddye and Henry. They were both fun to hang out and talk with. Mostly when Nika, Anthony, and Todd was behind us. After that, we landed in LAX making us sing Party in the USA by Miley Cyrus because she talks about hopping off the plane of LAX which triggered us to sing it.

~ Jaheim

The Howland's Bay Report

We had a long travel journey to Catalina, including a plane, a bus, and a boat. I was the first one to arrive at SFO Airport, at 5:05 AM (we had to be there at 5:30) After that, we hopped on the Southwest Airlines plane to LAX. I was in the window seat sitting next to Jaheim and Teddye, who were both very fun seatmates. After we landed, we took a bus ride to the Catalina Sea & Air terminal in San Pedro. The 1 hour 15 minute boat ride was extremely bumpy, and I did not get seasick, but some of my other classmates did. After we landed at Howland’s Landing, we had a filling meal of turkey burgers for lunch, and then got our group assignments. We went snorkeling (in wet suits) and my wet suit did not fit properly, so it was really cold! At 6 PM, we headed over to the Dining Hall for a delicious dinner of pasta (with pesto, alfredo, marinara or meat sauce). I had fun the whole day (except snorkeling), and can’t wait for more days to come!

~ Henry