Day 1: An Epic Poem

We awoke before the crack of dawn, grabbed our duffels, and found our way to La Plata Hall. Then, we mounted our trusty minivan steeds, and began the long journey towards the land of North Carolina. Upon crossing state lines into Carolina territory, we devoured a lunch of sandwiches and pita chips. As we continued on our journey, the music was roaring to keep spirits high. In a mere matter of hours, we completed our journey as we arrived in sunny Topsail Beach. We entered our humble beachside abode, unpacked our belongings, and began to prepare a scrumptious dinner of pasta (with two sauces), garlic knots, and a mixed greens salad. As we reached a gluttonous satisfaction, we added some homemade cake to our bulging bellies. Splitting into groups, we walked along the beach, stared into the endless beauty of the stars, and rested in rooms full of conversation. Gathering into a circle of trust, we began our first reflection in Topsail. The discussion progressed through illustrated descriptions of our life journeys, all of which were fated to bring us together on this experience. Vulnerability became the theme of the night, as we opened our hearts and minds to one another, reaching a level of mutual understanding and trust. As the reflection ended, we transcended our boundaries and woes, ready to tackle the week ahead. Here's to friendship, love, and turtles! Huzzah!



Figure 1. Our fearless experience leaders, Nicole and Mitchell, open the pasta box to embark on a journey of crafting a culinary masterpiece of "homemade pasta".

Figure 2. Our experience leader, Mitchell Rock, rocking it with his plate of mixed greens, garlic bread, and pasta.

















Figure 3. The THT Squad strolled along the beach in the middle of a stunning sunset. The landscape was speckled with gulls of the sea.














Figure 4. Panorama of the beach view from the back porch of our humble abode in Topsail, NC.







Stay posted for Day 2: An Even More Epic Poem.

-THT Squad

Melissa Rudo

I am a pre-vet animal sciences major at UMD. I work at a small animal veterinary hospital in Pikesville, and my black Labrador Retriever, Bentley, is my pride and joy. Besides animals, I love watching horror movies and snuggling! I aspire to either work in emergency, shelter, or wildlife veterinary medicine.
 

Staff Advisor - Dr. Boots Quimby

Here is a picture of me with Jean when I went down to talk to her about setting up the first THT trip.I have been visiting Topsail beach with my family for the past 25 years where we have been going to the turtle hospital since it opened on the island. It has been fascinating to see the evolution of the hospital over the years and a real privilege to actually volunteer and work with the turtles. As an environmentalist at heart, I am always looking for opportunities to help our planet in whatever small way I can. 

John Locke (The Philosopher from LOST)

Hello everyone!

My name is John Locke, and at present, I am neither a famous philosopher nor involved in any television shows. Instead, I am a Freshman at the University of Maryland, where I am currently studying biological sciences, with a focus on neurobiology. I am from Baltimore, MD and greatly enjoy biking along the many trails in Maryland's parks as well as sailing in its waters! My parents are musicians (my father plays percussion, and my mother plays piano), and so naturally I enjoy listening to music and attending concerts whenever possible. When not studying or spending time with family and friends, I enjoy practicing the piano, going swimming, and playing baseball!

I was very excited to apply for the Terps Helping Turtles trip, because I had heard fantastic stories from other ILS students who had gone on the trip before, and I thought it to be a very noble cause. In addition, I greatly enjoy visiting North Carolina, and I actually have relatives who live near to where we will be staying in Topsail. Naturally, I am eagerly anticipating our departure! I look forward to sharing the experience with my fellow classmates, cooking dinner (my dad is an avid chef, and I have contracted the bug), teaching elementary school children about marine life and environmental conservation, seeing the sunrises and sunsets on the beach, and of course, helping to care for the sea turtles at the hospital. See you all on the flip side.
- John Locke

Tiffany here!

Hi everyone! I'm Tiffany Hu, junior Neurobiology major.


A few tidbits:
-I love teaching kids - I am a veteran TA for the Integrated Life Sciences program because I've followed my "freshies" for 3 semesters.
-I volunteer at Health Leads in Children's National Medical Center to connect low-income families to community resources.
-I am co-president of the American Medical Student Association.
-I sing in UMD Women's Choir (with Janine!)
-We performed in Boston this year and it was super fun because I found udon and sushi and clam chowder under the same roof at Faneuil Hall Marketplace! That is now my favorite place. (But hopefully I'll have a new favorite place after I visit Topsail.)



Fun facts:
-I am ambidextrous.
-My two younger siblings are my pride and joy.
-I run on sugar and caffeine most days.
-I like noodles. Especially udon.
-Sushi is great too. As is clam chowder.
-I love turtles and pandas and neurons.
-I like honey almost as much as Winnie the Pooh.
-I drink honey before chorus concerts.

I'm super excited for this trip!

A bit about me, Dann-y!! :) Lol @ Emma

Hey guys! My name is Danny, and I'm a sophomore Physiology and Neurobiology major. I am passionate about guitar, sushi, avocados, videogames, protecting the environment, and the treasured moments I can get away from this 23 credit semester and spend time with friends. On campus, I volunteer as the Vice President of Circle K International and once in a while I'll go to the occasional American Medical Student Association meeting every now and again sometimes. Off campus, I volunteer at a local hospital and at a fire station. In fact, I just began the internship portion of the EMT class I'm enrolled in, so I'll finally get to ride the ambulance! I have a cat and a dog, and I've always loved animals and the nature around me, so I'm super excited to go on this Alternative Break with you all! I can't wait to get away from school for a week and just hang out, have fun and learn something new about a topic I love.

The Little Baby Freshman-- Katie!!

Hi! My name is Katie Aceto. I'm a freshman Animal Sciences/ Pre-Veterinary Medicine major at the University of Maryland. I'm from Rockville, MD, and am an only child, but I have my dog, Sampson, to keep me company <3. Fun fact: both of my parents went to UMD, so we have a whole family of Terps! In my free time, I like to play softball, photograph, participate in community service, knit (sort of-- I'm still trying to learn), Netflix (Grey's Anatomy and The Office), listen to country music, and spend time with friends! I have a lot of favorite animals, of course, but some of my all-time favorites are dogs, tigers, red pandas, dolphins, killer whales, and sea turtles! After graduating from UMD, I plan to go to veterinary school. I'm not quite sure of what I want to specialize in, but surgery really interests me at the moment, so I am thinking about becoming a board-certified surgeon in a small animal emergency hospital. I am extremely excited for this spring break trip-- it was one of the many reasons I was so excited about ILS as a prospective student last year! I can't wait to work with these amazing turtles, learn more about the environment, and get to know my group members better!