For the majority of my life, I lived in a small town called Sandwich on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I went to high school off cape about 45 minutes away from my house, so all of the friends that I made throughout high school lived an hour or so away. For all of my freshman and sophomore year I felt isolated; I had no friends in my town because I went to catholic middle school 2 towns over, and I couldn’t drive, so I had no means of seeing my long-distance friends. I was so caught up in what I was missing out on that I failed to appreciate the beauty of what was around me, right outside my front door.
My junior year I took an environmental science class and fell in love with the subject matter. This was the first time I was able to pinpoint my passions, and I realized that I had been negligent in recognizing the privilege I held living in such a vibrant landscape. I lived amongst a forest, half a mile away from a cranberry bog, a mile away from a salt marsh, and a mile and a half away from the ocean. Such a broad range of wildlife roams the different habitats of the cape, from foxes and deer to marine and predatory birds to sharks and whales. I took a particular liking to birds and spent many warm spring afternoons sitting in the grass of my backyard identifying the local birds that inhabited the trees. I became familiar with the non-migratory species of where I lived, like mourning doves, catbirds, sparrows, and starlings. I looked forward to the spring and summer months when the vibrant birds would return, and I’d get to see flashes of blue, yellow, and red outside as the bluebirds, finches, and cardinals carried on their days. I learned other quirks about the ecology of Cape Cod, like how blue hydrangea plants grow purple flowers when the soil is too acidic, or how to tell when the beach plums that grow along the shores are ripe. I suddenly began to notice and appreciate the beauty of where I lived, something I failed to see when I was focused on the wrong things. My knowledge and familiarity with the landscape of my town gives me a sense of place there.
Another reason I feel such a strong sense of place on Cape Cod is my best friend Siobhan. We have been friends for 8 years now, and all of my favorite memories growing up involved her. We spent countless summer hours together wasting away at the beach, going to concerts, having bonfires, watching sunsets, or just sitting at home doing nothing. She introduced me to all her friends, who kindly accepted me into their circle and made me feel like I was a part of something instead of the isolated outcast that I had felt like for years prior. Siobhan is one of the most important connections in my life, and I cherish the time we spent growing up together in such a beautiful place. She, along with my interest and passion for the natural world, are the main reasons I feel a sense of place on Cape Cod.
