Trouble in Paradise

By: Alisa Keating

In the midst of the chaos surrounding the coronavirus, I decided to quarantine in the Everglades for about a week. This experience was unforgettable in more than one way. Take the hottest, most humid place you’ve ever been and times it by 10. Now imagine people running around in masks in gloves, that’s how the Everglades felt. The scenery was amazing but the wildlife was more thrilling to see. The wildlife seemed unphased by the effects of the virus and the people wearing protective gear.

Throughout the duration of my trip, everywhere I turned there was always a surprise. The part I visited was a national park, so there were opportunities to walk through. I was torn between getting up close to the wildlife, or just admiring it from a distance. For health and safety reasons I chose to stay distanced, but it was still an amazing experience. Seeing how everything in that environment could co-exist was a nice change of pace because the atmosphere was very different from what it’s like there. The Everglades are very green, so it was a great place to de-stress and relax a little. Aside from the virus affecting how much I could fully interact with my surroundings, the Everglades is a trip worth taking, just not in the middle of a pandemic.