Nina ’26 and Adriana ’28 share about the group’s final day in the Everglades from their airboat tour to a relaxing afternoon on the beach.
As dawn greeted the Sunshine State, a few of us decided to take advantage of the beautiful morning and go to the local park. Mr. Flaska and Chuck did laps and interval work around the park, while Nina and Adriana strolled. Next, our group went into the Everglades once again. We hopped in an airboat (basically a boat with a giant fan to propel it) and started our tour. The guide pointed out the local plants, turtles, and of course, the fan favorite: the ‘gators. We even spotted some baby ones! He then sped up the boat, causing Adriana’s hat to fly off! But once again, Mr. Flaska saved the day by reaching behind and saving her hat from being torn to shreds. At noon, the group split up to get lunch. Some of us had sushi and some had poke bowls. With full stomachs, we checked into our hotel, excitement bubbling as we prepared for our trip to the beach. As soon as we arrived, Yong wasted no time, sprinting into the water, claiming his “lifeguard” position. “I’m a professional JV swimmer! I’ll come and save you if need it.” With the assurance from Yong, more of us waded in. Rich and Nina turned the ocean into their personal karaoke stage with Yong and Marco as their audiences. The two singers sang vigorously as they drifted farther from shore. Tommy, who forgot to bring his swimming pants, strolled along the beach and took photos for the group. As the closing time of the beach reached, we stepped out of the water reluctantly. Sand covered our faces, but underneath the golden sunset, we all wore irrepressible smiles. After rinsing and drying off, we piled into the vans as Mr. Flaska and Ms. Fidanza then drove us to a Chinese take-out restaurant. We all rushed to order our favorite dishes—Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian beef, lo mein and stir-fried vegetables. Back to the hotel with our sizzling dishes, the TV blared with the Super Bowl broadcast. We gathered around, savoring our dinner while Chuck leapt from his chair with victorious screams as his favorite team scored a touchdown. His energy was infectious, and we found ourselves laughing and cheering along. Late night approached, and exhaustion settled in. We quickly drifted into our dreams as we finally made our ways to our rooms.