I hate Valentine's Day.
It should come as no surprise that I loathe the day that revolves around romantic love and relationships.
But this year, instead of wallowing alone at home in my feelings and disdain I decided to do something different. On a complete whim, I booked a spot on a whale watching tour.

I've been thinking a lot about free will, and it inspired me to create a list of things I wanted to experience in 2026. My heart has been so enthralled by whales as of late so I decided to add whale watching to this list of mine. And given some upcoming changes to my life in the very near future, it felt like the right time to accomplish this experience.

I ended up booking with Sanctuary Cruises over in Moss Landing, CA.
Some things I really like about them are that they're a locally owned and operated tour, they have a marine biologist that comes on board, and they keep their tour sizes small so everyone can have a spot to see properly. I had such a great time and I'll definitely be booking future trips with them.

Leaving the harbour and sailing away from the coast felt so surreal.
Every time I've seen the ocean, I have always stood at it's shore staring out at it's endless expanse.
But yesterday, as we sailed away I experienced moving through some sort of invisible boundary that I had always imagined to be there. And as the coast slowly shrunk behind me, it felt like I was entering The Unknown and a brave new world.
I wondered if that was what astronauts feel when they soar up and out of the Earth's atmosphere.
I wondered and imagined if that was what intrepid, seafaring explorers felt as they sailed off searching for new worlds, treasure, and adventure.

Water has always been a stranger to me.
I've spent my whole life surrounded by giants made of stone and earth—elements that are strong, stable, and secure. And ever since I moved to California, I've been trying to connect more with water and waves.
I've visited the beach several times but never could quite get that connection that others seem to have with the ocean and it's presence. Water is so fluid and adaptable compared to rocks and earth, so it's no wonder that I've struggled to have some sort of understanding and bond with it.
But ever since last summer, Water has been calling to me.

I didn't get any photos but I did manage to get a couple of videos.
We saw Casper the albino Risso's Dolphin swimming with their pod, and a few Grey Whales!
I would've tried taking more, but after I got these I decided to put the phone away wanting to experience the moment through my own eyes instead of a tiny glass screen.

It's not exactly a good time to see these animals, so there was no guarantee we would see them.
But I'm really thankful for the ones who graced us with their presence. It was so beautiful and moving seeing them in their natural habitat, and I thought so much about how free they are out here within the ocean.

And there—on a boat surrounded and supported by the endless ocean waters—I felt in that moment all of the chains and shackles that once held me back were gone.

Just like the ocean, I too am vast and expansive.
Just like the whales, I too am free.

Definitely the best Valentine's Day I've experienced.