I've been on an unstoppable weight loss journey this year. I work a demanding healthcare job, so working out at 3:00 a.m. is the only time that consistently fits my schedule.
This morning I was especially excited because I stepped on the scale and officially hit a milestone:
I've lost 38 pounds since February.
Feeling more motivated than ever, I strapped on my weighted vest and headed to the beach before sunrise.
About a mile into my slow trek over the sand dunes, I came across a fresh sea turtle track.
That's actually pretty common this time of year.
Whenever I see one, I smile and continue a little tradition I've developed over the years by carefully hopping over the tracks so I don't disturb them.
But something was different this time.
There was no return trail.
Normally you'll see the path where the mother turtle crawled out of the ocean, found a nesting spot, laid her eggs, and then made her way back to the water.
Sometimes she retraces her own path.
Sometimes she turns around somewhere else.
Either way...
There's almost always an exit trail.
This time there wasn't.
The moon was bright enough that I could just make out a dark shape against the white sand.
Then I realized...
It was her.
In all the years I've been walking this beach, I'd never actually seen a nesting mother sea turtle.
I've walked this shoreline for five years.
I've seen two hatchlings making their way toward the ocean.
I've seen one adult turtle while snorkeling over a reef.
But I'd never witnessed a nesting mother in person.
They're almost always finished long before I arrive.
I quietly sat down several yards away and stayed as still as I could. I remembered reading signs posted near the beach explaining that nesting sea turtles are extremely sensitive to disturbances, especially bright lights and sudden movement, and that giving them plenty of space greatly increases the chances they'll finish nesting successfully and return safely to the ocean. Knowing that made the moment feel even more special because I wasn't there to interrupt it—I was simply lucky enough to witness a tiny part of a remarkable natural process.
At that point...
My motivation to exercise completely disappeared.
Instead, I just sat there in silence and watched her silhouette beneath the moonlight.
She was enormous.
At least three feet long.
I have no idea how much she weighed.
She moved so slowly.
Watching her struggle through the sand made me realize just how physically demanding the nesting process must be.
In that moment...
Running across sand dunes wearing a weighted vest suddenly felt insignificant by comparison.
The effort she was making seemed almost unimaginable.
The reason I'm sharing this here is because my old phone simply couldn't take a usable picture in the moonlight without using a flash.
And I refused to risk startling her just to get proof.
In an age where people say,
"Pics or it didn't happen,"
I figured I'd simply tell the story instead.
Because honestly...
Some moments are worth experiencing more than photographing.
This one felt like one of them.
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