I love fish. From the anatomy of their gills to the thrill of reeling in a big one, fish hold the key capable of unlocking the floodgates of dopamine to my brain. I am an avid fisherman and spend the majority of my summers at various bodies of water chasing the thrill of landing the biggest catch.

My favorite species to fish for is the largemouth bass because of how hard they fight. The exhilarating feeling of my line sinking deeper into the water as I try to bring the fish onto land truly captivates me. I get so lost in the moments on the bank that I even forget my own needs and can go fishing all day without eating or drinking. When I fish all the chaos in my head grows quiet and my mind narrows in on just me, the line, and the water. Suddenly I become aware of everything else around me. I can hear the chirps of the birds in the trees, I can feel the mud and dirt beneath my feet, and I can smell the wet grasses that come up shallow on the shore.

Although I love to catch fish, I hate eating fish. The fishy taste and strange texture found in most cooked fish has offended my taste buds since early childhood. Nearly every time I catch a fish, I will release it back into the wild to enjoy another day.

In the spirit of adventuring and testing new waters, I have been enjoying more fish in my diet thanks to the UGA dining halls. My current favorite fish dish I have indulged in so far was the “miso glazed catfish” in the Oglethorpe Dining Commons. As I continue to grow and my perspectives continue to change, I hope that the UGA dining staff will allow me to be able to more fully appreciate fish.

Parallel to testing new, uncomfortable things like eating fish, writing too often gives me a bad taste in my mouth. I consider myself a poor writer and frequently have trouble finding a deeper than surface level understanding of the passages and texts I was forced to analyze throughout high school. I am grateful for achieving a 4 on my AP English Literature and Composition exam which has exempted me from taking ENGL1101, but I am also hopeful and curious on learning how to elevate my writing and textual analysis during my time in ENGL1102.