Gettin High

Alligator Bay and Joe Bay in Everglades National Park, flight courtesy of Light Hawk

I'm constantly trying to find new ways of seeing the Bay. I've been fortunate enough lately to find friends around South Florida and organizations willing to take me up in their fixed-wing planes. Of course I always fail to mention to the pilot, until I'm strapped in that I don't do well in small aircrafts. Once they start looking for any spare bags I then offer them the challenge of trying to get me back on the runway without incident, as if it were any measure of their skill.

Now that I think about it, though, I've always been the vomit kid. I can't read in cars, I'm horrible on tire swings, I chum the water in open ocean, and you'd be a fool to sit anywhere near me on a spinning roller coaster. Afraid of being forced indoors with all the allergy kids, I would never admit to having motion sickness. Instead, after filling someone's back seat with my lunch, I would say, "woah, that's weird, it must have been something I ate." 

Lake Ingram at low tide in Everglades National Park, flight courtesy of Light Hawk

It's this cognizant denial that keeps me booking flights and boating in the ocean. Regardless of the consequences, it's always worth the price I have to pay. As long as I can keep convincing myself that I'm getting better, I don't think I'll stop. In the coming month I already have 6 separate flights arranged. I guess if nothing else, I'll get to work on my figure.  

Murray Key with American white pelicans in Everglades National Park, flight courtesy of Light Hawk

Florida Bay, pilot Eduardo Ornelas

Tidal mudflats and creeks on Cape Sable, flight courtesy of Light Hawk