Our moms always scolded us, "Don't talk to strangers!"
When you live a nomadic lifestyle like us, we need strangers. We travel to a lot of places where we don't know anyone. Without strangers, life would be so lonely and boring.
In fact, meeting strangers has led to many awesome #nuventures: like meeting someone at the laundromat and getting invited to live on a sheep farm; or finding secret beaches that can only be accessed through a secret cave; or spending your birthday celebrating a temple's birthday.
After re-learning how awesome strangers are, now, we look around and say, "Yay! Strangers! Now, who do we want to meet?"
Now, look what a stranger showed me last week: a star fish!
Last week I went to the beach and started chatting with two older couples on the way to the water. One of the men pointed out this star fish. Without talking to him, I would have never seen my first live star fish!
This guy's find launched me into three new things I had never experienced before.
1. I watched a star fish run away from me. Check out the video below. Total #nuventures!
Two, a dolphin swam by as I was filming the star fish. I got to watch it swim down the beach! #neverseenthatbefore.
Three, a dashing pelican gave me quite the photo shoot.
It was such an exciting day!
When I got back to the camper, I hit the internet. Google: "Tell me about star fish!" I really wanted to know why it didn't attack my toes.
I found five surprising facts I had to share with you. These were news to me!
1. It's not a star fish. It's a sea star.
The star fish is not a fish. Huh- totally makes sense. It doesn't look like a fish. The sea star is in the family of sea urchins. They have a hard outer body.
Marine biologists have worked hard to re-name these guys to sea stars.
2. Sea stars live for 35 years on average!
Well dang! This little guy in the video could be older than me! I'm only 30!
3. They don't have a brain.
If they don't have a brain- what's running them then? You saw in the video- their feet! Ba-boom-ching:) They have hundreds of tiny feet that act like suction cups. Cool!
And, sea stars don't have blood either. Salt water circulates through their body. Interesting, eh?
4. They can grow up to 50 arms!
Most sea stars have five limbs, but some can grow up to fifty arms. Wow!
5. Sea stars can regenerate their limbs.
Sea stars' organs grow inside their arms. If they get injured, they can regenerate parts of their body. Now, that's cool!
I never knew any of this stuff! Thanks to a stranger and Nat Geo, I learned more!
Lesson from the day: Talk to strangers. Make new friends. You never know what surprising things you'll learn!
Your turn! What's something new you've learned recently?