Personal Narrative: Zooming Down Highway

Zooming down Highway One; shades on, sunroof open, sun beating down, the breeze blowing through my hair. I look to my right and grin at my mom, with Miami in the rearview mirror we’re ready for our adventure through the Florida Keys to begin. The everglade terrain, swampy green pools with gnarly mangrove roots disappearing under the surface, mesmerizes me. The only thing separating the swampy environment from the highway is a chain link fence and a strip of grass. I keep my eyes glued to the window endlessly searching, trying to spot my first alligator.
“Do you think the fence is there to keep the alligators off the road?” I ask my mom.
“I suppose it’s there to keep any wild animal from getting to the highway, “ she responds. We continue
I love the feeling of the boat rocking and jumping as it hits the waves of another vessel, though I wouldn’t want to try and walk during it. As we approach the dive spot I start getting ready. I zip up my wetsuit and take a seat in front of my tank. I buckle on my flippers and weight belt and proceed to strap on my vest. After a quick check to make sure oxygen is flowing I put on my mask and make my way to the back of the boat. I always feel strange walking around in that much gear, its like I’m an alien or something. Three big steps and I stride right off the boat. The water hits me with a rush of coolness making my body break out in goose bumps. Next, my mom joins me in the water; I can tell she’s uneasy about all this. It’s been awhile since she last Scuba dived. I take out my regulator, “You ready?” I ask her. She nods her head in response. As we deflate our BCs and begin our descent I notice mom starts to freak out . She’s flailing in the water with hand on her regulator. She motions for me to come back up to the