Being connected to a body of water has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up along the Gulf of Mexico coastline for a large part of my life, being around salt water just comes naturally to me. Whether working at Sea Arama Marine World as a kid, spending the night camping on the beach with friends as a college student, or riding the ferry over and over again on a weekend evening, doing something by or in a body of salt water just makes me happy and relaxed.  And don’t get me started on the hurricanes that I have lived through over the years; I have been through the mild ones and bad ones with ittle damages to a house to having no house left after the natural event. Nevertheless, having opportunities to explore the ocean to understand the Earth is way cool! With that in mind, I am thrilled to be going on an expedition to explore the development and evolution of Asian monsoon patterns and their relationship to past changes in the Japan sea. So key topics that we will addressing are climate changes, weather patterns, plate tectonics, and sediment records. Stay tuned to more blog entries regarding this exciting adventure.