Jamie Richards- Wilderness Experience in the OBX

This past weekend, a couple peers and I took a trip down to the OBX, specifically Nags Head and Hatteras, in celebration of my close friend's birthday. My intent in partaking in this trip was to relax and relieve a bit of stress in the absence of my academic and work obligations. In fact, school was probably the furthest thing from my mind as we exited the area via Interstate 64. Little did I know, however, that I would be subject to what I would classify as a quasi-experience while enjoying myself at the popular attractions scattered around the Outer Banks. I label this experience as "quasi" purely because I recognize that I had absolutely no intent of coming into touch with nature while in the area-- I just wanted to enjoy the beaches and maybe play a bit of mini golf. On our last day exploring this string of islands, we decided to visit a local tourist magnet, the Bodie Island Lighthouse. We perused the area around the structure a bit and were disappointed to learn that we were not able to climb it internally. As we were preparing to depart, we noticed a small path hidden behind the lighthouse. We opted to kill a bit of time by following this small trail, and were surprised to learn that it led directly into the heart of a vast marsh. While enjoying the view of the waters tucked between the patches of marsh grasses, I was suddenly stricken with a sense of awe- "Wow," I thought, "this bit of wilderness is essentially an ecosystem in utter isolation," reflecting on how far we were from the shore. As I peered out into the swamp, I caught sight of a crane, standing in the shallow waters near a small peninsula. This creature looked up and kept his attention on me just as I stared at it, and in a sense, I felt as if I could understand this bird. How it lived and functioned to get through each day, I admired its endurance and absolute grace. As quickly as I made this connection, it was interrupted by an impatient friend. "Let's go!" I looked back at the crane and saw it wading its beak through the current, and I wished it goodbye, mentally. This episode, although brief, certainly had an impact on me, and I replayed it multiple times in my head on the trip home.