As I stepped out of the car and onto the sun-kissed pavement, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of excitement wash over me. As a registered nurse, my days are typically filled with beeping machines, sterile hospital halls, and the occasional code blue. But on this Saturday morning, I was trading in my scrubs for flip flops and a visit to Gatorland. My family and I had been looking forward to this trip for weeks, and as we walked towards the entrance, I could feel the stress of the past week melting away. We spent the morning watching in awe as gators of all shapes and sizes basked in the sun, their scaly skin glistening in the Florida sun. My kids squealed with delight as we rode the airboat through the swampy waters, and even I couldn’t help but crack a smile as we spotted a few baby alligators snuggled up in their nests. For a few hours, at least, I was able to trade in my stethoscope for a pair of binoculars and simply enjoy the beauty of nature. And who knows, maybe someday I’ll even be able to bring some of those little gators to work with me – after all, they’re great at calming even the most anxious of patients!
