My place that I was able to connect to over the Thanksgiving Break is not my regular go-to spot that I can go to frequently while home because it is North Carolina where my grandparents live. I still feel a strong sense of place at Ocean Isle Beach though because every year I visit my grandparents and grew up going to this beach. The whole island is only eight miles long but I really identify with the same section of beach where we set up camp during the day every summer and watch every sunset during the Thanksgiving season. I feel very welcomed on the island because I know many people who live and work on the island during the summer season. One of my favorite things to do on the beach is to go to the bayside and try to catch crayfish with my hands. My cousins and I all scream and laugh as they race backward and we push each other in. 

I feel like the island environment makes me want to always be outside and appreciate the sun and the ocean. The island was only established in the late 1950s as a recreational beach and has grown since. Only one street was allowed to be used for commercial use in the center of the island and the rest is residential. There are many more homes on the island now and there is continuous construction throughout the winter months. Humans heavily impact the island but the ocean does even more so. Ocean Isle Beach is an east-west facing island located before the tuck in North Carolina. The Atlantic Ocean is constantly eroding away at the east end which is exposed and not covered by the North Carolina landmass. The island has always had a clean beach reputation. This influenced my desire to preserve the land around me. 

The beach heavily affects the rest of the land surrounding the island. It is built up to help support the influx of people that come to the island during tourist season. My grandparents who reside on the island welcome people but at the same time are apprehensive to those who do not respect the land when they visit. The island has changed in many ways since I was younger because it has expanded rapidly and become more popular as time has passed. I still remember the almost empty beaches when I was younger that now have a row of beach umbrellas. Ocean Isle Beach will always have significant importance to me because of the connections I was able to make with my family members as well as my ties to the land.