“A personal connection with the Everglades” I live in a big city surrounded by cars, buildings, pollution, and stress. Everywhere I go, it seems I am constantly struggling with the busy life of the city where there is no moment of peace. Moreover, I cannot enjoy any contact with nature because I am occupied most of the time. Because of the stress that surrounds me, I am excited and relief to begin my adventure inside the cypress dome of the Everglades National Park. Before entering the swamp dome, everything looks quiet and peaceful. I can see cypress trees, fresh water running, to about the level of the knee, and many small plants inside the water. Thanks to its variety of vegetation, the Everglades is full of life, and it has more diversity …show more content…
As a tourist, I am surrounded by impersonal presentations of the Everglades since it is portraited as a unique place to observed alligators. Most tourist experiences start with learning about the history, the animals, the plants at the visitor center at the entrance of the Everglades National Park without much depth. I learned about the Everglades with books and some field experience. However, there was no personal connection with the park, I was experiencing the Everglades from other people’s stories, and other people’s perceptions of what the Everglades is. At that moment, I was experiencing the Everglades as another tourist. Throughout this trip, I was able to observe with my own eyes what other people have experienced by themselves. I learned from the park through my small adventure, and not from someone else’s book. When I was at the center of the cypress dome, I could picture in my head the words of John Kunkel, from The Swamp book “There is nothing like it in the world.” In the end, I not only escaped the city stress but also, I gained a new inside and personal connection with the Everglades. In further visits, I expect to strengthen my relationship with the Everglades and continue to learn from this unique