I had never been to the ocean before. It was so majestic and beautiful.

We had two days to explore the island before we started working at NASA. It is hard to choose a favorite day because both days were so amazing but, I think it would have to be when we went to the beach. I had never been to the ocean before. It was so majestic and beautiful. I tried to only get knee deep but it didn’t quite work out that way. I hadn’t realized how high, rough, and sudden mild appearing waves could be. So, I ended up having soggy pants for half the day.

 

We also went to the Tom’s Cove Visitor Center. There I touched a horse shoe crab. It was very frightening. They were kind of heavy for their size and squirmed a lot more than most sea animals. They had this exploration box thing that had holes in the top. Jude Kesl, our Argonaut Field Director, had me stick my hand in one of the holes. I felt something fuzzy and immediately pulled out my hand accompanied with a shriek.

 

We also went to the Tom’s Cove Visitor Center. There I touched a horseshoe crab.

After the beach on Saturday morning, we took a ferry to Tangier Island. The island is roughly one mile by three miles with a population of roughly 600 people. We took a golf cart tour of the island. Besides the tour, there wasn’t much to do besides buy souvenirs, which of course, we did.

 

That night we went to the ocean again, this time with our bathing suits. It was so cool. The waves felt gargantuian. Every time a wave came by me, I screamed. I’ve never seen or felt anything quite like the surge of the water going back to the ocean, it was so powerful! I didn’t know that so much sand was in the ocean either. I couldn’t figure out how people were sitting on the beach; I thought the sand was all in my bathing suit! Sand and all, the beach was still awesome. It was probably the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. The thrill of not knowing what was coming next was incomparable.

 

Overall, I am really glad that I was able to spend some time on the islands before we headed to our adventure with JASON and NASA. It gave our team a chance to be reacquainted, just in case we had forgotten what it was like to be together in the five days since we were all together in Milwaukee for Argo Boot camp.

 

 

Horseshoe crabs are kind of heavy for their size and squirmed a lot more than most sea animals.

This is what I love!