“It is an absolute human certainty that no one can know their own beauty or perceive a sense of their own worth until it has been reflected back to them in the mirror of another loving, caring human being.” At least that’s the quote I was thinking about while I was leaning over the railing looking at my reflection in the murky Everglades water. Which is kind of sad to me that we all can’t see the beauty of our own self worth. I get it, and I accept it, but I don’t want to agree with it. I’m sure an alligator understands their own self worth….maybe. =]

I got to take a trip to the Everglades this summer, and it really made me appreciate growing up in Florida. All of the mangrove forests and fields of water that is only two feet deep as far as the eye can see. It was pretty enchanting. The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests fed by a river flowing out of Lake Okeechobee. What’s even crazier to me is that the park contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. It’s so massive that there are three different entrances, and none of them are connected. There are tons of trails there, so you’re constantly stopping and taking strolls down the bridged pathways.

We went on an air boat ride, and it was so much fun! You get in there and your guide just starts driving over all this grass and marsh, and the whole time you’re like, there’s no way we’ll make it over that bush, and then he just glides right over it. We saw tons of gators and birds. It was nesting season so most of the gators were hiding and would only come out if we got too close to their areas. It was totally worth it though! I mean, did you even Everglades if you didn’t take an airboat ride?