by Angela Perez
Crystal River, Florida – It’s been a while since I wrote for this blog. You want to know why? Because since I quit drinking liquor drinks and what not, I have been out having endless adventures. Now that the booze fog has lifted.
Back when I was drinking alcohol, whenever I went on vacation to the subtropics or tropics – as in South Florida, Aruba, the Virgin Islands, Bonaire, and so on and so forth, I used to spend a good portion of my time swilling drinks in the sunshine at a beach bar.
And then, I would be too hungover the next day to do some fun things I intended to do – go scuba diving and snorkeling, take nature hikes, visit local shops and galleries, and check out museums. Now that I no longer drink alcohol and no longer have to worry about suffering from debilitating hangovers (which, trust me, after the age of 40, those hangovers knock you on your butt), I can engage in ALL of the hobbies and pastimes I so love.
Living an alcohol-free life leaves me with more time and money to have the adventures in life that make life truly worth living. For example, at sunrise this morning, I slipped into the cold, cold spring waters and swam with about 40 – 50 manatees. A couple came up under me and lifted me out of the water. These creatures, whose closest relative is the elephant, are massive.
No less than three swam right up to me and bopped me in the face. One peered right into my eyes for what seemed like a full minute. Another rolled over in front of me, waiting for belly rubs. Our dive guide said that if they present for belly rubs, we can touch them with a flat hand, especially if they grab onto us or start nibbling our hair. Some are as curious as a cat.
At one point, I was in the midst of a group of about eight manatees, getting nudged to and fro. Suddenly, a baby manatee appeared from the herd, making sounds like a dog’s squeaky toy. I am going back again in the morning.
Now that I don’t drink, I also have a clearer head to write for my two blogs – this one and my other one, Speaking of the South, which is all about travel and food in the U.S. South. So, I must mention this: I consider the central and northern parts of Florida to be the South. At least, they often feel like the South outside of the bigger cities. I hear Southern accents, and every diner has biscuits and grits – though, all too often, the biscuits are dense, doughy little things, and the grits are instant. There is a definite Southern gothic feel – massive oak trees draped in Spanish moss everywhere. And, if there is a place in the world with biscuits, grits, Spanish moss, AND manatees I can cavort with, well, that’s a place I want to be.
I am two months into my life without alcohol. And so far, I’ve gotten a lot more writing done than I have in ages, and I’ve had some near-snuggles with manatees. Not a bad start.
