January 29th, 2018: Marin Headlands, Sausalito, CA

My breath is taken away every time I visit the Marin Headlands. Even though I am a native to the Bay Area, I am taken away by the historical significance of the Golden Gate. I have hundreds of pictures of the Golden Gate and of the Marin Headlands, admiring how beautiful these landscapes are.

Historically, this area is thought to have been covered in ice as scientist found a walrus skull. Native Americans benefited from this prosperous land and seashore. This area is visited by tourists from all around the world as it represents the American Dream and Hope of opportunities. This location for me is sacred, I have plenty of meaningful moment spent here; 18th, 19th birthdays, moving away to college, etc. There is no better place to give me hope for my career.

Video begin at 0:57.

February 12th, 2018: San Rafael Mission, Marin County, CA

In the 4th Grade, I went to a Mission south of Palo Alto, where I remember walking through a campus of Spanish adobe mud houses and mission style court enclosure where my class gathered to dip a string in hot wax to create a candle. During the tour we spread acorn on tortilla and saw recreated scenarios between the Native Californians and the Spaniards. Having grown up near Stanford and gone to Palo Alto High School, their architecture is a modernized Spanish mission thus I am familiar with the style.

When visiting the San Rafael Mission, I was expecting a similar style and a large court to gather. Instead I found a romanticized and Catholic Church and school. This is one of the latest established Missions (the 20th), build in 1817 as its main purpose was an escape from foggy and ill San Francisco. This mission served as a hospital and well traveled to due to its beautiful sunny scenery, high peaks, vast ocean views and easy access by tule boat. Chief Marin of the Coastal Miwoks and Pomo disliked the spread of Christianity through Spanish Missions and they led an attack that burnt part of the mission down in 1829. In 1949 the Mission was reconstructed to mirror the original but this mission did not have the old colonization feel.

Video begin at 2:26.

February 26th, 2018: Petaluma Adobe State Historic Park

The Petaluma Adobe Historic State Park was previously owned by General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo. In this Rancho he employed Natives to further his business and profits. Women would weave wool from the 3000 sheep Vallejo had on the property, to make clothing. They would also cook in the large adobe ovens. These ovens were in the courtyard where you could then access the adobe mission building where single servants slept on woven mats on the hard floor, married servants had their own beds and the Vallejo Family room along with their dining room and the rancho supervisor, Mayordomo's room. On the bottom floor was the working stations like the leather working room where tallow was stored for candle making, soap and explosives. The animals' carcasses and leather fur was preserved for the cowboys.

Video begin at 4:32.

April 4th, 2018 Rosie the Riveter National Home front Park

This last field trip represents an monumental even in history where people of all backgrounds joined to built boats for WWII. This is specifically empowering to women both white or colored, they are nicknamed Rosie's. I found it beautiful that immigrants and people from the South mixed to work together, men and women, white and colored, this was one of the first times jobs were available to everyone. Though working conditions may not have been ideal, I remember one quote I enjoyed said "I specifically didn't do anything...great, but I participated in something that was great" - Marian Sousa, Draftsman, Richmond Shipyard #3. I believe in this idea of doing something for the bigger picture. I love learning from my differences with others and making the best I can for people. This inspires me to be my best version, because one day, it will all be worth something really great.

This Trip was rewarding because of the great amount of time spent with the professors and the natural California environment. This taught us to notice the historical parts of California even though there aren't that many. Colloqium being a required part fo the Dominican Experience shows skills we all will use in our field. Creating a digital portfolio will highlight our time