Welcome! I will be using this space to share about my adventures in beekeeping and perhaps a few other things. I'll be drawing upon my learning from the Web 2.0 EME6414 course at Florida State University.
The heart of this blog is to empower others to try new things that challenge you to grow.
I already shared about my beekeeping hobby but for those who might be new to my story, it is important for me to provide more context about the whole "things that challenge you to grow".
A few summers ago, I was enjoying a bright and sunny day on my kayak on the Wakulla River which is about 30 minutes from Tallahassee, FL. The day was so hot that we (my partner Phil and I) decided it would be a good idea to stay close to the shore and use the tree line as shade. If you decide to also kayak the Wakulla or any river for that matter...let this story be a warning!! We considered ourselves quite experienced on the kayak but never in a million years would we guess what was in store for us that day.
About 25 minutes from the launch area, I made the mistake of steering us straight into a tree branch. You might be thinking "no big deal" which is also what crossed my mind. Unfortunately, as we pushed off the branch Phil's paddle smacked directly into a paper wasp nest unleashing hundreds of wasps onto our kayak. Phil jumped into the water first and I shortly followed -- clips of My Girl and the Hunger Games flashed before my eyes as I panicked in the water trying to swim away from the wasps and grapple with the fact that I was in 6 feet of known alligator water. I should have never bragged to my nieces and nephews weeks before that I was "never been stung by a wasp or bee in my entire life"…sigh. You live and learn, right?
In total I had about 15 wasp stings and Phil had about 8. I'm not entirely sure how I even got myself back into the kayak in the middle of the river but the last push I exclaimed that I needed to "get out of the alligator water" and then sobbed in the kayak as the stings set into my head, arms, and legs. Phil thought it would be a good idea to swim back over the tree with the evil wasps to find our second paddle and my bloodcurdling scream to "GET BACK IN NOW" was heard from the Wakulla River to the Springs. We made it back to safety and took our swollen bodies directly to the emergency walk-in clinic. When the nurse yelled "get the EpiPens ready" as we walked in…I knew we must have looked rough. What a day. We were just trying to enjoy a casual ride down the river and enjoy a beer or two while soaking in the beauty of Florida.
Needless to say my anxiety after this was really high. I am a counselor and it took me a while to truly acknowledge that this event was traumatic and caused me a lot of stress! It took me months to get back out on a kayak and I still struggle with feeling at ease. An activity that I used to love felt scary to me. That just stinks! Has anyone ever experienced something similar? I tell you all of this as my first entry post because you have to know how significant it is for me to suit up with millions of bees as a way of overcoming *some*of my anxiety!
I hope you will come back each week to learn more about my adventures and you can learn a thing or two.
Want to explore the Wakulla River virtually? Check out this video posted by Wakulla Springs.
What is coming up next week? We will dive into some sweet bee posts!
Wow. I bet it was traumatizing! I live in Orlando and would like to get more into kayaking and paddle boarding, but I must admit that I have a fear of tipping and becoming alligator food! I'm glad you came out of the experience ok.
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