When I was in elementary school, I collected rocks and minerals. Yes, I was kind of a dork.
My family took a summer road trip from Washington State all the way to Minnesota in the fourth grade. We passed through Yellowstone National Park and a lot of other amazing attractions. I bought different rocks and minerals at each pit stop and meticulously organized and categorized them. I knew the difference between sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rocks. Becoming a geologist was my life goal (well, that didn't go exactly as planned!)
I even have a raw opal, my birthstone, that my dad gave me for my birthday one year. I wrapped wire around it and have been wearing it as a necklace for about ten years now.
Clockwise from top left