a ten-year snooty-versary
Ten years ago today, I celebrated an “independence day” of my own. I was a few weeks into my manatee care internship in Bradenton, FL, working with Snooty the manatee and his rescued temporary tank-mates. That evening, I walked to a waterfront restaurant and dined out alone for the first time; figured out the tip and everything. I know that doesn’t sound like much, but for me, it was.
After dark, I could see fireworks from the balcony of the apartment where I was couch surfing. (I didn’t enjoy couch-surfing, but affordable temporary lodging was nearly impossible to find despite fundraising and saving up most of my work-study money. Even getting a safe couch to crash on took a lot of luck and an exhausting amount of effort.)
Unfortunately, my phone broke that night too. I couldn’t bring myself to tell my roommate that I’d probably fried it playing Pokémon Go; she found Pokémon “disturbing”.
There were a lot of other firsts during the Summer of Snooty.
First unaccompanied airplane flight. First time seeing a real manatee. First time hand-feeding a real manatee… legally, I promise! Snooty was born in an aquarium and therefore non-releasable, so it was okay. First time petting a real manatee; a dream come true! Also 100% legal because it was Snooty. Does developing heat intolerance count as a first? That was one of the not-good parts.
Manatees. Wonderful, wonderful manatees. <3
Maybe I’ll be able to write more eloquently about the Summer of Snooty eventually. For now, I shall return to hiding from humidity and having complicated feelings about this year’s Independence Day.