Ailana’s Journal—2026-03-27 (Patreon)

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GOOD MORNING

Starting the morning here in Port O’Connor, Texas with coffee and muffins. We’ll be here today and tonight, then set sail for Corpus Christi tomorrow.

I’d like to stop for a moment to say thank you to everyone for all the encouraging remarks related to this travel series. As far as I can tell, it’s been interesting to many of you. I think the photos have really helped tell the story, too, and based on feedback, you agree.

So, thank you very much.

The trip is winding down with just a few more stops before we get home. We’ll arrive about—this scares me to say—two months before Jason’s and my wedding. They say cold feet are natural. My case comes, not from the fundamental decision to get married, but rather from the complication of planning and having a wedding.

Call it nine weeks?

The wedding will be at noon on June 5, 2026, at Chapel by the Sea in South Padre Island. The reception will follow at Sea Ranch Restaurant, which is at Sea Ranch Marina. The honeymoon…

First off, let me just say in advance that I’m not planning on sharing very much at all from the honeymoon. We’re going to use that as a way to fine-tune what living with each other will be like.

That said, the honeymoon will launch—literally—from the marina. The rest of the AGI Creative Group has produced a gift that is perfect. A 40-foot cabin cruiser will await us at the end of the short reception, and Jason and I will cruise north along the shoreline for two nights, then turn around and come back. So we’ll head out on the 5th and be back in SPI on the 9th.

That’s the plan, for now. Feel free to message me if you have questions.

BOGGY NATURE PARK

It doesn’t really sound appealing, does it? Well, the birds and wildlife that rely on this wetland area would probably disagree.

I didn’t expect Boggy Nature Park to feel the way it does.

It sits just outside Port O’Connor—quiet and unassuming—but once you step onto the boardwalk, everything slows down. The park was created to preserve the coastal wetlands—marshes that protect the shoreline, support wildlife, and help keep the Gulf in balance. It’s not just scenery. It’s part of a system that matters.

Walking out over the grasses and water, you begin to realize how delicate that balance is. The land shifts with the tide. Birds move through it like they belong—because they do. And you’re just passing through.

There’s something grounding about that.

Places like Boggy exist because people chose to protect them instead of developing them. That decision matters. It means this space is still here—unchanged, steady, and quietly doing its job.

I sat for a while and just watched. No rush, no noise, just the wind and water.

It’s a reminder that not everything needs to be improved.

Some things just need to be protected.

I’ll be back later, so see you then.

NEW LIFE by Isabela Martinez

I honestly cannot find words to express the deep joy Ricky and I have with the changes to our life. God has blessed us both with new jobs and friends we’d never have imagined we’d have.

I am working full-time as the office manager for Shoreline Health and Wellness Clinic. I have made friends with Min, one of the bosses here. She makes me laugh through even the most frustrating of situations.

Ricky is working across the street—can you believe that?—at Sea Glass Gallery and Café. He’s helping run the restaurant, and his boss is Kirina Yung, a wonderful woman who was once part of a K-pop band. He’s also working full time and is happier than he has been in ages.

With this great blessing comes something new to work through. We can move. We think it makes sense that we find a home of some sort here in Port Isabel. With us both working here, we think that seems like a good idea.

To all of you who encouraged us over the months, thank you. Your advice was not overlooked. Things really did work out better.

So thank you very much for all of the support you showed us.

GOOD NIGHT

Today was very satisfying for me. The notes and pictures Geoni and I took today will work well with several article ideas.

I have to add that I’ve lost track of which blanket I wore, on what day, and where. I also don’t think anyone else actually cares, so it’s red tonight!

Since leaving Mobile, wetlands have been the focus of my visits. The experiences have reinforced some things I knew about wetlands along the coast, and perhaps helped form more summative ideas.

They are, in a very real sense, the quiet infrastructure of the coast. Wetlands filter water before it reaches the Gulf, trapping sediment and absorbing pollutants in a way nothing engineered can fully replicate. They act as natural buffers, softening storm surge and reducing erosion, which protects everything inland.

At the same time, they serve as nurseries for marine life. So many species begin here, in these shallow, protected waters, before moving out into the open Gulf. Birds depend on them. Fish depend on them. And because of that, we do too.

What struck me most is how interconnected it all is. Remove the wetlands, and you don’t just lose a landscape—you disrupt an entire chain of life that extends far beyond what you can see standing there.

Freshwater wetlands work in much the same way, though their influence reaches inland rather than along the coast. They slow and store rainwater, reducing flooding and allowing it to seep gradually into the ground, replenishing aquifers. They filter runoff before it enters rivers and lakes, and support a wide range of life—from amphibians to migratory birds.

I believe as stewards of creation, we need to think about these things. As important as they are, they are often equally fragile. Room does not allow me to go into all the things we need to keep in mind to protect them.

Honestly, if you are inspired to do your part, it would be easy to quickly research some ways you can help.

For now, I’ll wrap up today’s post.

May you grow attentive to the world and how you play a part in keeping it healthy.

Good night.

Be your best you!

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