A summer to remember: Alex Thorne
Despite currently being in a pandemic I have tried to make the most of my summer. In March, April, and May my parents did not allow me to be with people so going into the break I wanted to make the most of the summer despite the current situation. I have been a self-taught fisherman for a little over three years now and I figured what better time to work on my craft than in quarantine. I began to fish for a few hours every day in late April and continued that through June 15 or so.
At the end of June I was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Isle of Palms, South Carolina with my amazing mother (Kristin) and sister (Anna). I spent the week fishing with a longtime family friend, Jim Huston of Explore More Inshore Charters. I was blown away with the quality of fisheries down there but also how beautiful they were. I caught a double digit amount of sharks with the biggest being about 4 feet in length. I also had a few run-ins with alligators fishing some ponds on the island which did not make my mom too happy.
In 9th grade, I wrote my confirmation faith story about viewing God’s beauty through nature and I believe now more than ever that it is important to take time here and there to explore. If I have learned anything in the last few months it is that whether you are fishing knee deep in a creek like me or just going for a stroll in the neighborhood, getting outside and enjoying what God made for us is therapeutic for the soul. I firmly believe without being able to actively worship by being in the outdoors, the last few months would have been horrible for me.
Nancy Hultquist
What a great story, Alex! And yes- you DO have an amazing mother!