17
I conceded and returned my gaze to the pine trees and
oak shrubs adorning the landscape around us as we
neared our destination.
The park was more breathtaking than I imagined. Beneath
a canopy of oaks and hickory trees, we wandered along
the trail. We were so immersed in the beauty of our
surroundings that the only words we spoke were to point
out a butterfly, lizard or plant we’d never seen before,
which happened quite often.
Unfortunately the serenity of the moment was broken
when my phone buzzed in my pocket. Jason heard it and
quietly teased, “Sure is nice not having my phone go off
all the time.”
I smiled, shook my head and chose to ignore
the notification.
A narrow catwalk led us over the Cypress Swamp.
Surrounded by tall trees, the swamp felt almost magical,
with aquatic flora floating along the surface of the water.
We’d read online that alligators could sometimes be seen
here, so we crossed our fingers and searched the water.
“I think I see one,” Jason whispered and pointed across
the water. At first I thought so too, but soon realized it
was a piece of driftwood that fooled our eyes.
After a few more minutes of careful searching, I spotted
ripples. An alligator was moving along so slowly, that if
I hadn’t been staring at that spot, I would have missed
it. I pointed it out to Jason, and we both marveled at the
creature, the top of its head and eyes just breaking the
surface of the swamp.
As I watched the alligator slowly move about, something
clicked in my mind: if I had been watching my phone
instead of living in the moment, I could have missed this.
Emails would always be there. There was nothing special
about the daily grind. These moments, however, were
one-of-a-kind.
I was filled with courage: I whipped out my phone,
opened my settings and turned off my notifications.
Ah, sweet relief!
I got a fist-bump and an approving nod from Jason.
CALADIUMS GALORE
Following our refreshing visit to Highlands Hammock
State Park, we headed to a caladium farm outside of
Lake Placid for a tour. I’d read that this area is known
as “The Caladium Capital of the World,” and I’d hoped to
buy some bulbs of my own to bring back home.
“ Lake Placid holds an annual caladium
festival in late July .”
Caladiums are large-leafed plants known for their shape
(like an elephant’s ear) and variety of colors, including
pink, white and red. The farm was more than 900 acres,
one of the world’s largest caladium farms. I was amazed
at how, from a distance, the colorful leaves look like
flowerbeds. Following our tour, I purchased a package