I thought I was the luckiest girl in the world to be able to study abroad in Australia during January of 2011. What I didn't know was how amazing my experience would be while I stayed at Lady Elliott Island. We stayed on the island for 5 days and 4 nights. I wasn't too thrilled about the small airplane ride to the island but I knew it would be worth it. And it was. Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef was a once in a lifetime experience but the moment that took my breath away was one morning around 5 a.m. I had to do a group project that related to the island. Being nesting season for sea turtles, my group decided to do our project on these magnificent creatures. The sun was not even up that morning when I walked out on the beach to see a small group of people crowded around this beautiful animal. She was already in a trance and digging out the perfect hole to lay her eggs in. One by one her eggs dropped into the hole and we quietly watched the miracle of l ife. Around 7 a.m. after conceiling the hole and leaving no trace of her eggs she slowly made her way down to the beach. The sun was beating on her back and she slipped back into the ocean. And then she was gone. I took a step back and a big breath of air in just stunned at what I witnessed. Never would I have imagined that I could snorkel with these beautiful creatures let alone watch a mother lay her eggs. My time at Lady Elliott Island really was the trip of a lifetime and I will never forget it.