99 turtle eggs hanging from a flimsy string bag down to my stomach. 99 chances.
99 hatchlings. 99 turtles. It only took 3 hours, a couple blisters, and a thousand steps. I lost hope 30 minutes in, walking in pitch black not really knowing what to look for.
That’s when I started to think & look. I noticed the thousands of stars above, the sound of the crunching sand, and the smell of salt & fish.
I noticed what a long and sporadic day it had been. Between painting signs, swimming in the ocean, picking up shells, & learning all about turtles at the headquarters.
But after all that, I found myself with 99 turtle eggs dangling from my shoulders praying not to trip in the dark. (I didn’t fall and I can’t be more excited for tomorrow night.)
~Sophie Lankarani
