Hi everyone,
Before I talk about our festivities for the holiday, I'll briefly introduce myself. I'm Tessaly and like Nick I'm an Earth Systems major. I feel lucky to have happened upon and been given this amazing opportunity. I walked into the Earth Systems office one day, frantic about finding a summer job/internship and someone suggested looking at the Biology Department's field studies website. I found the blog from last year's Palmyra crew and was astounded by their pictures and stories...and then even more astounded when I found out a few months later that I'd be taking my own pictures and creating my own stories here.
I could say we work hard here but I can't complain considering that everytime I look up I see this beautiful atoll surrounding me. Still, it was nice to get off a bit early tonight to partake in some 4th of July celebrations. The station's staff prepared a traditional American dinner and festivities afterward. The nights "opening ceremonies" included a flare and smoke signal show which led into games and prizes (bouncing basketballs into buckets and hitting balloons with darts to win things like fashionable foam flower bras, dracula capes and fake mustaches). The night ended with a bonfire under the cloudy moonlit sky and a run down the beach with flaming flares. Not your traditional 4th of July fireworks but surely a memorable night!
-Tessaly
