When I was a little girl in Vancouver, BC my parents would take me almost every weekend to the Vancouver Aquarium in Stanley Park.  Apparently I eagerly asked to see the whales and other creatures of the sea with incessant fervor.  At one point I pondered being a marine biologist and then the realization that the ocean is actually also a terrifyingly powerful and relatively unexplored place hit my young brain like a ton of bricks and the scientist dreams crumbled quickly.  Over the years, I’ve still been drawn to the beauty and adventure in the animals that call the sea home.  Last weekend I had a visit from my mom and we took a little day trip down the coast.  First thing on my list?  The Monterey Bay Aquarium.  I think I watched the otters for about 20 minutes with joy plastered all over my face.  It was a crazy tourist-filled jam packed summer Saturday but I had a blast and instantly was transported back to visits with my parents all those years ago.