On the first day of school, I am always asked the age-old question, “What did you do over summer vacation?” And for the past two years, I have said, “I went to Marine Biology Camp.” And almost instantly I am labeled a nerd. However, I beg to differ.
I have been interested in marine biology ever since my trip to the Charleston Aquarium in third grade. Looking back, I don’t know what exactly sparked my attention to it, but I remember the feeling of warmth and home, as if it was a place I belonged. My interest was further developed in my 7th grade science class’s Chesapeake Bay unit, especially learning how ph affected life in the water.
Needless to say, when the time came, marine biology camp was not my first choice. In 8th grade, I had been begging and begging my parents to let me go to basketball camp with the rest of my team. But my parents, being…well… parents, they made the right choice. I went to marine biology camp voluntarily my second year, even giving up both basketball and writing camp (my two favorite things).
Through my two years at marine biology camp, I have had the privilege of experiencing things I never would have experienced at any other time in my life. I have fished for seahorses, swam in peat bogs which are gigantic watery mud puddles in the middle of a marsh (not really as gross as it sounds), kayaked on the ocean, and dissected a flounder just to name a few.
So no, I am not a nerd. I am a person who enjoys experiencing things that only “normal people” can imagine.