Jayden Henry

I spent spring break last week in coastal Texas, on Padre Island National Seashore as a part of an Alternative Spring Break group. We (eight students) spent the week working with park rangers in the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, primarily constructing nesting chambers in preparation for the nesting season that starts in April. In addition to serving in such a beautiful environment, all eight of us bonded in such a way that I feel that this is the best trip I’ve taken in my life.

The distance from Vanderbilt’s campus to our campsite on Padre Island spanned a little more than a thousand miles, which meant we spent approximately 15 hours on the road, coming to and going from our destination. While this may sound unbearably long to some, the time flew by because I was in a van with three of the most friendly and interesting people I have met at Vanderbilt. By the time we arrived on Malaquite Beach on the northern part of the seashore, I was sure that I would be close with them for the remainder of the trip.

We stayed on the Malaquite campground on Padre Island from Sunday afternoon until Friday morning. Because the island is a nationally protected, primitive seashore, there was no cell signal once we passed from Corpus Christi to the island. I’m not sure why I expected us to be staying on a deserted stretch of island, but our group had plenty of neighbors on vacation on the campsite that were friendly. Every night, we in pairs would take turns to make a meal for our group on a propane stove, with varying levels of success. I must say that I am sure that my and my partner’s meal – chicken parmesan and fettuccine, was unanimously lauded as the best of the week. After dinner, we each presented our Life Map – a presentation lasting about an hour detailing our whole lives and the events, people, and relationships that form who we are today. I at first found it to be overly long and irrelevant to the service we were doing, but I quickly saw how it was an integral part of our bonding as a group. I actually quite enjoyed the tent aspect of the trip – it also helped in bonding with my tent mates.

Our service with the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery focused on helping the park rangers prepare for the nesting season for the six different species of sea turtle that nest on the coast of Texas, specifically concerning the Kemp’s ridley, of which only a few thousand are extant. For two and a half days out of our four days of service, I and two others spent time preparing the incubation lab as well as sanitizing and constructing boxes and bins to hold the turtle eggs – good work, but a bit tedious. The other one and a half day was spent riding in a ranger’s trunk down the beach to assist in preparing a cabin for rangers to stay when they need to continuously monitor the coming and going of turtles – we perceived this to be preferable to working in the lab, though of course we saw the importance of both stations.

I will remember the ASB trip to Padre Island as one of the most consequential voyages I have been on. I am so grateful for the close friendships I have made during this week, as well as the important service that I had the opportunity to do on the island. Coming back from break excites me because I know I am returning with seven new friends. Given the choice, I would definitely choose to do ASB again.

By this time in our year, there have surely been times where for any reason you have not been able to accompany your friends at some sort of outing or event. You begin to speculate what they are doing without you, how much fun they’re having, the memories that they’re making. Before you know it, you are wallowing in the depths of FOMO – the fear of missing out. Here are some ways to dispel that feeling. 

1. Indulge in media 

When you have extra time at the end of the day when you are not going out, this can be a great opportunity to catch up on that show you have been meaning to start, or to see that movie you have been hearing about. This can be a great way to destress after the day and relax your mind. 

2. Read a good book

You can always use spare time that you are not spending with friends to pick up a good, insightful book. You can find books for casual reading at the library and available to purchase at the bookstore. It is good to take time to stimulate your mind.

3. Take in some culture 

When you find yourself wanting something to do, you can always take advantage of Nashville’s many cultural offerings. Some examples include the Parthenon in Centennial Park and its impressive collection of American art, the Frist Art Museum downtown, Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage about 15 minutes north of downtown, and the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Many of these places are free to get to when you take advantage of the free transit with a physical Commodore Card.

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4. Meditate 

If you prefer to stay in your dorm, you can use that alone time to tend to your mental, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing. All Vanderbilt students can take advantage of Headspace, an online platform that promotes mindfulness and mental health. 

In conclusion, to fight FOMO, it is important to remember that you have options that do not revolve around other people. It is okay to not attend every single function or social event. Your worth as a person is not tied to the number of parties you go to or dinners you have with others. It is acceptable to take some time to tend to yourself – you’ll thank yourself for it. 

When you’re hungry and want to make something fresh on your own, it’s important to have solid, reliable recipes. As a personal seafood lover, I really appreciate this recipe, which was graciously shared with me by a previous geography teacher. The best thing about this meal is that if you’re wary about eating totally uncooked seafood, the recipe calls for cooking the meat while still preserving the characteristic taste of ceviche. I really hope you like it!

Ingredients:
1 large red onion
3-4 tomatoes
cilantro
1 lb of shrimp (jumbo, uncooked, with tails)
5-7 limes
1-2 lemons
salt & white pepper

Step 1:
Cut the red onion into Julienne slices
Using a pan, heat water on a stove until warm (not boiling)
Place onions in warm water for approx. 2 minutes to blanche
Remove from water and set aside in a bowl
Discard that water

Step 2:
Fill pan with water and heat until warm (not boiling)
Cook shrimp w/ the tails on until they turn lightly pink (NOTE: if your shrimp is not deveined, be sure to devein them before this step)
Pull shrimp from pan and place over ice to halt the cooking process
DO NOT discard this water – keep it warm on the stove

Step 3:
While the shrimp is cooling cut the tomatoes into quarters
Discard any interior of the tomato that is too watery
Cut quarters into smaller chunks
Add tomatoes to the aforementioned bowl of onion slices
Add salt and pepper to taste

Step 4:
When the shrimp is cooled, pull the tails off and place them into the warm water on the stove
Cut shrimp into smaller pieces and add to the bowl of tomatoes and onions
Add several tablespoons of the warm water from the pan with the tails (you may include the tails to enhance the flavor)

Step 5:
Cut lemons and limes in half
Squeeze all lemons and limes into the bowl w/ the shrimp, tomatoes, and onions
Cut up cilantro and add to bowl to taste
Add more salt and pepper to taste (add more shrimp juice if necessary)

Step 6:
Mix together well, cover, and refrigerate
Enjoy! This dish should keep for about one week.

Extra:
A very small (fingernail size) amount of ketchup can be added for color
A small amount of hot sauce may be added for taste