As the airboat tour began, I was in complete awe.
Having never been to the Everglades, I had no idea what to expect. I was
enjoying the breeze on such a hot Miami day, trying to take in all the
beautiful aspects of the nature around us when the airboat came to a stop.
I thought to myself, "Well this looks like a nice place to stop and look
around." After all, there were no big trees around us and it seemed as
though the sky went on forever. I became distracted from the view, when
suddenly one of my professors exclaimed, "Well this looks like a nice place
to get in." I immediately turned my attention to him and thought that he
was joking, because there was no way we were going to jump in the water on
the first day of class. The first day of class is one of introductions,
syllabi, and getting to know one another. I hardly believed we were going
to get this hands-on after just a few minutes of the class. Besides, I had
not brought a change of clothes today. No one was going to get me in that
water.
Then it happened. My professors jumped in and actually
expected us to go in with them. I figured a few will definitely stay on the
airboat. Someone has to be feeling the same way I do, right? Well, the way
I felt didn't seem to matter. As I saw my classmates, one by one jumping in,
all I kept thinking was "Someone please don't jump in. Stay in the airboat
with me." At that point, it became clear to me that staying in the airboat
was not an option. I reluctantly began taking off my socks and shoes, doing
so with extreme calmness hoping that maybe everyone would get back in the
boat quickly and there would be no time for me to go in. But that did not
happen. Then it came time, almost everyone was inside the water and I had
to go in. I did not want to be the prissy girl who stayed in the boat and
refused to get wet or dirty. So, 1, 2, 3, I jumped. There I was, in the
middle of the Everglades, submerged in water from my feet to almost my
waist. I could feel the marshy, slimy ground below me, the pieces of earth
sliding between my toes. And guess what? I actually enjoyed it. I had worked
it up so much in my mind and told myself that this was gross, that I didn't
realize just how amazing this was. I was "in" the Everglades. Not just
looking at it from an airboat or driving past it in a car. I was inside the
Everglades. The area of land that is so unique and so astonishing that
travelers from across the world come to visit every year. I'm so lucky to
have it right in my backyard and I've never appreciated it. This very
moment instilled in me a new sense of pride for where I live. Living in
Miami with all its traffic and man-made structures can get to me sometimes,
but at that moment I was so happy to be a part of something so great. To
have right in my town an ecosystem so distinctive that it doesn't exist
anywhere else in the world. As I continued to walk around the water, trying
hard to keep my balance and not fall, a sense of pride came over me, pride
for my home. This is where I live, and I couldn't help but smile to myself.
I can honestly say that I now did not want to get back
on the boat. I wanted to keep exploring. I listened attentively as my
professors discussed the different plants that lived in this water. Up
until that point, sawgrass to me was just an outlet mall. Now, as I ran my
fingers through the plant and passed around the periphyton, curiosity came
over me and I wanted to see and know everything about the Everglades at
once. I kept turning my head in every direction trying not to miss an ounce
of what was around me. I looked up at the birds flying by and I even looked
down into the water thinking to myself "Could there be alligators swimming
by?" While we were on our way, back on the boat, with the breeze once again
running through my face, I thought to myself "I'm so glad I took this class.
I can't wait for what's to come." The car ride home was a silent one. I
didn't even have the radio on. I just kept thinking back to this very
precise moment and I once again could not help but smile. I still couldn't
believe I had jumped into the water and walked through the swampy land. I
could not wait to get home and tell everyone about my experience that day.
After class, I saw a lot of my family and friends at
an event and I couldn't keep my mouth shut. By the end of the night,
everyone who had walked by me knew of my adventures of jumping into the
Everglades. I have never been prouder of living in Miami. My family has
never been to the Everglades and I told them that after this class, I would
take them and be their personal tour guide. Before going to sleep that
night, I remember lying down in bed thinking of what a day it had been.
Throughout my three years at FIU, never have I had a day of class like this.
If only all classes could be like this, I thought. Before going to this
class a co-worker told me that I would love the Everglades and that maybe I
would find a new hobby for myself. I think she was right. I know I've only
tapped into a small piece of this amazing ecosystem, but I already feel as
though this is something that I will enjoy for the rest of my life. I look
forward to the upcoming year and I can't wait until the next day of class.
Who would've thought that just from a single jump into the water, I would
have a different outlook on the world around me. I feel as though I
appreciate it more and I go a little slower now to stop and look at all the
nature that surrounds me.
