I pulled the coat that I was wearing a little tighter around me to keep the remaining heat from my body from escaping into the cold wintry air. Although spring was just around the corner, a freeze warning had popped up on my phone as I drove through the Santa Monica Mountains. I had consumed the last sips of my hot coffee by the time I had joined the rest of my classmates for our outdoor lesson. I kept my coat on even as the brilliant California sun peeked out from its hiding spot behind the mountains until the rising fireball had enough time to warm up the area in the community park.
I had gotten up early to make sure I wouldn’t miss the first in-person California Naturalist class and had a chance to chat a little with the other students who drove from various parts of Los Angeles. People of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds gathered to learn more about how to be better environmental stewards. We were privileged to witness a ceremonial Chumash blessing and to hear stories and experiences from a local Chumash elder before we dove into hands-on workshops and lectures led by talented practitioners from those fields. It all felt like a selective gift, handed out only to incredibly lucky individuals, and I was one of the ones able to receive it.
This year, I decided to take a sabbatical from full-time marketing after losing my grandmother and head back to school. I’ve started taking courses surrounding coding, AI, and data analysis, and I have recently started my California Naturalist studies through the Santa Monica Mountains Fund, partnering with UC Environmental Stewards. I’ve worked for years as a Wilderness First Aid certified outdoor instructor with Outward Bound Adventures, while focusing on taking youth of color from middle school through college in the outdoors on educational science-based trips. However, I’m now focused on earning degrees and certificates to expand my own knowledge.
A lot of what is covered in the California Naturalist course is also covered by Outward Bound Adventures through their Diverse Outdoor Leadership Institute, which I completed in 2021. However, there are bits and pieces of information that I have picked up on that have been presented in new perspectives. I get to hear from experts in their field and spend more time with each subject while volunteering in the outdoors, away from the youth. Instead of learning in order to teach young ones, I am learning for myself and my own interests.
This year, after my grandmother’s passing, so far, has been intentionally made to be all about me. It’s been about what I would like to learn, who I would like to hang out with, and where I would like to travel. I have already taken time to explore all of the Pacific Northwest and what it has to offer, to camp and spend time in my favorite National Park (Joshua Tree) for the first time in a while on my own without the youth, and to make trip plans with my friends just for fun. So far, heading back to school has been such an amazing experience, and I know that it will only help transform my life and career when I return.