Strolling along the central California coast often makes me feel as though I’ve entered a portal to another time, or at least a different season. Even though it’s early January, this picturesque part of Santa Cruz exudes endless summer vibes. Cotton-candy colors streak across the horizon while dozens of surfers bob in the waves below.

As Shawnee Traylor and I walk along West Cliff Drive, I take a deep breath and try to calm my frenetic mind. The work I did today felt a bit like the first time I ran a marathon — special, fulfilling, a big accomplishment — and exhausting. It was my first time hosting a professional development workshop for a group of postdocs, at the preeminent Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI).