For much of my life I thought that Florida was a sort of abyss. Full of people from somewhere else without its own soul. A hot sticky mess full of people who came here looking for something they wished to extract from it temporarily (warmth, sunshine, beaches, Disneyworld, retirement etc.), but a group who had largely left their roots elsewhere.
To be honest, when I left college I said I did not want to come back here. Lo and behold, here we find ourselves.
Slowly but surely as I get to know this place on its own terms, the more I both see and understand it.
Like many others before me, I'm coming to realize that it is not the place I thought it was, nor is it the place that it seems to tell you it is. It has a rich and beautiful history all its own.
This weekend we ventured not far from our house... and encountered something wonderful we didn't even know existed. Who knew we had rapids among our swamps?
And suspension bridges?
And we've got big trees too... the majestic cypress whose roots extend outward rather than downward is a great analogy for those of us who do not necessarily have roots here, but eventually are drawn into this place.
so incredible. those turtles hanging out on the log, the alligator, the cypress, the moss, the water, the wooden bridge...this place surely has a haunted soul all its own. i started having dreams about the everglades years ago; don't know why or where they came from. (obviously it is just my imagination of the everglades, not the real deal!) i feel like florida is such a unique land in this grand old country....different than anywhere else and more murky and secret and tangled. i know i romanticize, but still...there is a certain mystery. glad to see you're out there absorbing it all!
ReplyDeleteI am really enjoying your posts about your adventures in local tourism. You area inspiring me to plan some summer family day trips in our new home state. Although, I have to say that I don't think I could have held it together knowing there was an alligator that close to me. One of my personal goals is to get over my fear of certain wildlife (snakes) so that I can enjoy more outdoor time instead of being so jumpy.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear about your next adventure.
Wow, so beautiful. Tangly forests of all ilk are just amazing. Real alligators, murky water, giant trees and your own lovely self. I'd never been much drawn to the idea of Florida until I first saw Sunshine State by my favorite director John Sayles. Since then Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief and of course its Adaptation, as well as Karen Russell have convinced me further. And now there's you ;)
ReplyDeleteoh and Lauren Groff lives there too...
Thanks for sharing
Just been catching up on your blog Andrea. So glad to hear that you've been feeling a new sense of connection with your homeland and seeing and sharing it in this new light. This swampland is so lovely in its wild unruly way, I'm especially enchanted by the fifth photo from the bottom.
ReplyDeleteI think I might need to try out your kale salad too :)
omg! these photos and the place look so tranquile! it seems like you are having a good time! i am happy for you. i need to have a break myself from work and everything and i think now is the time!
ReplyDeleteps. thank you for sticking around although sometimes i write in Greek nonsense! :)