Baker: Arrival and The Best Chicken and Waffles I’ve Ever Had

As part of my Tropical Marine Biology class, the last portion of the course is a few days in the Florida Keys to see and experience in person the environment you have been studying all semester.

I have been outside of my home town many of times but never had I gone to Florida so I was excited until I figured out how I was going to get there, by flying. I had never flown before so I was quite nervous since the airport was a foreign country to me. After I had gotten on the plane flying wasn’t bad at all aside from the few times I prayed when we experienced turbulence.

Once I landed in Miami the first thing I noticed was the heat. Not the basketball team but the weather. The second was the palm trees outside the airport. It felt so weird seeing one in person but soon it would be the norm for the next few days. After gasping at the prices of airport food a friend and I decided to eat something we knew would usher in a good trip. IHOP’s chicken and waffles. After eating what some would call comfort food, the class loaded up into our reserved vans and we drove down to Big Pine Key where we were staying a sea camp located right on the water. This new environment was breath taking. It was incredible seeing the shore as you walked outside the dorm you stayed in. The class awoke the next day to what could be described as camp food, bagels and cold cereal which wasn’t bad but I took one look at my friend and we said in unison, “I miss chicken and waffles”.