Diving In

What better way to use a break as an escape from reality. I believe the school gives us breaks as ways to travel and explore new places. While on Thanksgiving my family and I took a trip to Saint Maarten. This is an island in the Caribbean. While being in the outdoors, sometimes you get to be excluded and at times alone. And while that is very nice at times, I would also encourage you all to dive into another culture. Half of the island is owned by The Netherlands and the other half is France. The cultures there are very different therefore it was such a treat to dive into the culture. Going to local restaurants and meeting and hearing from those that live there. Listening to how they made it through the hurricane and how they are rebuilding the city they know and love. While we were on the island we also got to go to the beach. This was my first time that I ever got to snorkel. It was so cool to see a whole other ecosystem under the water. I was quite literally diving into another world. From the fish to the coral to the algae growing on the rocks it was a nice treat to finally be a part of that world. It got me thinking, when you’re in the ocean or in any body of water you usually have your head above the water and when you do dive down into the water your eyes are usually closed. You only have the ability to see what is on the surface. Before my experience of snorkeling I only saw what was on the surface. Bring this back to the concept of outdoor recreation and you can see that sometimes people only have a surface understanding of the outdoors. While some people see just a trail to follow through the woods filled with wild animals and vegetation. Those who dove into outdoor recreation see and understand nature in another way. For example, the trail is something that must be protected from erosion or a boundary line from hurting the vegetation and the naturality of the outdoors. The wild animals belong to a food chain, they help preserve the simplicity of nature and there is a peace to understanding their lifestyles. And the vegetation is more than just an ecosystem, but it is a process in which they are used to protect lands, feed animals, and create a safe environment for wildlife. So, I challenge you to dive into the water, understand the culture and essentials of outdoor recreation. To learn from the locals, a passion and a love that they carry for their marine life. Or dive deeper into outdoor recreation and how important it is to protect wildlife and nature.