Girl off the Grid

by Jillian Dodd

  “That’s almost poetic, Adam,” she says.

  DAY NINE

  Camille

  “Guys!” I vaguely hear coming from somewhere in the room. My face is smashed against the mattress, and I try to mute out the annoying noise. I shove the pillow over my head harder, trying to bury myself.

  “Camille. Get up!” Adam says, shaking my arm. I can hear him moving around our room. First the door shuts and then I hear the zipper of his backpack.

  “Noooo,” I mumble, flinging my arm out in his general direction. “Go away. I’m trying to sleep.”

  “Camille, some baby turtles have hatched!” he says excitedly, getting my attention. I slowly sit up, blinking a few times and trying to shake off the sleep.

  “Wait. Really?” I ask, noticing that he’s getting his camera out and strapping it around his neck.

  “Yes! Really. Let’s go!” He grabs my hand and pulls me up and out of bed. I slept in a t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts, so I just throw on flip flops, grab my camera, and am right behind him, heading out of the door. The sun is just starting to rise and a cool breeze tickles my skin. I showered after our patrol last night, barely making it into bed before I fell asleep. My hair is probably a frizzy mess, but I don’t care. I’m suddenly wide awake as we follow the small crowd excitedly rushing out toward the beach. I spot Diego first, his head sticking up above the rest, and he ushers us forward. The sky is a beautiful blue with a touch of pink on the horizon, giving the morning a soft glow. As soon as we hit the beach, I see tiny babies popping out from the sand and making their way down the beach. A small perimeter is set up around the hatchlings, and everyone is watching from a short distance.

  “You can take photos,” Diego says, “Just make sure there’s no flash.”

  “Wow,” I say, getting my camera started and zooming in on one of the baby turtles. It is struggling down the sand, each tiny dune seeming like a mountain it has to overcome. Adam is completely lost in the moment, taking photos from all different angles, but making sure he keeps to the side so as not to interfere with them.

  “Did the turtles just hatch?” I ask Diego, who’s standing next to me.

  “No. After they hatch, it takes a few days for them to surface from the sand. Then they start their journey to the water when it’s dark, or right at dawn, to give them some protection from predators.”

  “That’s horrible,” I say, thinking about these adorable little turtles getting hurt. You could easily fit two of them into the palm of your hand. It’s hard to believe they grow up to be as large as the one we saw last night. It seems impossible. I focus in on one, watching it use its flippers to drag its body toward the tide.

  “How long does it take for them to get to the water?” I ask Diego.

  “It normally takes between twenty minutes and an hour.”

  “Why don’t they just move them closer? I mean, why do they put them so far from the shore?”

  “They have to be able to get there on their own. It has to do with their biology. They need that time to access their energy reserve and sort of wake up. That way once they’re out at sea they can get out away from the coast,” Diego says, keeping his eyes on the turtles.

  Adam walks back over to where I’m standing and shows me a zoomed-in photo he got on his camera.

  “It’s so incredible, Adam. Look at all the sand covering it,” I squeal at the picture. I can see the turtle’s eyes are still closed, and I can even see the ridges of its shell as well as its little flippers pushing it forward.

  “I know. They’re so tiny. But fierce. I mean, they’re making a long trek to the shore. It’s impressive,” he says, looking out at the group of tiny black turtles moving against the cool sand. Some are spread out away from the pack. Others are so close they climb over one another. A few get turned around and head the wrong direction to start, but eventually all find their way to the shore.

  Adam beams at me, his eyes twinkling with excitement. I feel exactly the same way. My heart feels like it could burst. It’s one of those perfect moments. Everyone is holding their breath as the first few make it to the water. They get pushed back up in a wave, but float further out as the tide pulls them back.

  “That was incredible.”

  “I know,” Adam says, lacing his fingers into mine. He gives my hand a little squeeze and then releases it, but it stays warm at my side long after his hand is gone.

  Once all the baby turtles have made their way into the water, we go into the dining hall for breakfast.

  “I still can’t believe we got to see that. Thanks for waking us up!” I gush to Diego before taking a bite of fruit and breaking off a piece of the large muffin sitting in front of me.

  “I’m so happy you two got to witness both a turtle nesting and the babies hatching. That doesn’t happen very often. I’ve led a few groups before where they didn’t get to see either.”

  “That would stink. I mean, I know that it is important to patrol every night, just in case, but still, that would be a long night.” I laugh. It’s still not even eight, and we’ve already been up for almost an hour and a half. All I can say is I am going to pass out on the bus ride to the airport.

  “It can be a little defeating, but they know it’s for a great cause.”

  “True. So, Adam, out of all of the animals we saw on this trip, which was your favorite?” He is sitting next to me already devouring his second muffin.

  “Um,” he says, wiping a few crumbs from his mouth while he finishes chewing. “I would have to say the butterflies and the turtle. I’ve never seen a turtle so large, but I also think it’s important to appreciate the beauty of small creatures, too.”

  “What about you?” Diego asks me.

  I think about it for a few seconds and then answer. “The quetzal bird and the baby turtles. Oh, and the monkeys. It was so cool to see them in the trees.” I smile, thinking about our canoeing trip yesterday.

  “And what about you?” Adam asks Diego.

  He gives us a wide grin. “The jaguar, of course.”

  “Did you see it when you were out in the wild with us?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was it hiking up that volcano? You told me there was nothing to worry about.”

  Diego lets out a warm laugh, squinting his eyes as his grin grows wider. “Fine. You caught me. It was during the volcano hike. But you were a little freaked out about the thought of it, so I didn’t point it out. It was way off the path, so I wasn’t lying when I said you didn’t have anything to worry about.”

  “See, Adam,” I say, giving him a nudge. “I know what I’m talking about. I have a sixth sense about these things. I’m like an animal whisperer.”

  Adam gives me a dramatic eye roll. “Hey, Diego. Are there any jaguars on this island?”

  “Actually, no.”

  Adam starts laughing hysterically. “She was sure she saw one last night on turtle patrol.”

  Diego finishes his muffin and drains his glass of juice, standing up with his dishes in hand. “Alright, you two. I’m going to go pack up. We’ve got to get out of here pretty quick. Let’s try and leave in thirty minutes.”

  I take the last bite of my delicious muffin as we follow him into the kitchen to wash off our plates. “How long is the drive to the airport?”

  “A little over four hours. So it’s a drive, but we need to have you at the airport by two to catch your flights home.”

  I give him a nod. I can’t believe our trip is already over. It felt like the longest, yet fastest, week of my life. I feel so different than when I first got here. I feel like I’ve grown so much in such a short amount of time. I can’t wait to learn more about the environment and protecting animals once I’m home. I really want to make an effort to help make a difference.

  After Diego is finished, I take Adam’s plate and scrub our dishes, handing him the plates and cups to dry.

  “Well, we probably should get packed,” I say as we walk out of the dining hall and back to our room.


  “Yeah. I think it’s going to take you the full half hour,” he says, surveying my belongings strewn across the floor.

  “It’s not that I’m messy. I just never got to properly pack each time we moved, so things sort of got out of control.” I laugh.

  “Oh, I’m sure,” Adam says, furrowing his brows. He turns to his bed, grabbing his duffle off the ground and rolling up a few shirts. I watch as he carefully places everything neatly in his bag.

  I start by dumping everything out of my suitcase. First, I choose an outfit to wear home. Then I carefully fold my clean items—and there are quite a few things I didn’t wear—and place them in the bottom. Next, I add in things I’ve worn and need to wash. By this time, the bag is pretty much full, so I shove my shoes in around the edges. I see Adam’s shirt lying on the ground. I was going to give it back to him, but decide not to, rolling it up and putting it in my suitcase instead.

  “I’m going down to the restrooms to change,” I say. When I get there, I brush my teeth then throw on an aqua pleated skirt with a chambray blouse featuring an aqua palm leaf print. I make it look a little more casual by rolling the short sleeves and throwing on a chunky necklace. I don’t have time to do my hair, so I French braid it, letting a few curling tendrils hang out to frame my face.

  When I get back, I use a compact to do my makeup then put my makeup and toiletries into my suitcase and try to close it.

  It won’t close. So I sit on it.

  Still doesn’t close.

  “Hey, Adam, can you help me?” I ask, looking up at him from where I’m perched on top of my suitcase.

  “With what?”

  “I can’t get this zipper. I think it’s stuck.”

  He sticks his hand inside near the zipper, gives something a magical little tug, and then says, “Try again.”

  I pull at the zipper, and finally it gives, sliding around the suitcase.

  “Ah! Thank you. I don’t know what its deal was,” I say, feeling accomplished.

  “Its deal was you had something stuck in it,” he laughs.

  I double check my backpack, making sure I have everything I’ll need for my flight home.

  After we’ve both finished, I scan the room over twice, making sure there isn’t anything I’ve forgotten.

  “Ready?” he asks, throwing his backpack over his shoulder and picking up his duffle.

  Not really, I think. But I still follow him out of our room.

  Adam

  “I’m really going to miss this place,” Camille says with a sigh. She’s got my duffle, and I’m dragging her suitcase on the red path leading down to the dock. I’d almost forgotten that we have to take a boat back to where the bus is parked.

  “I know. It was a fun stop for our last night,” I reply, thinking about all of the places we’ve stayed.

  “But I’m definitely not going to miss those bathrooms,” she says with a laugh. “Having a mirror and being able to flush the toilet paper is going to seem like the greatest luxury.”

  “I’ve never understood why some places don’t have mirrors above the sinks,” I tease.

  “Me neither,” she says, taking me seriously as we walk up to the dock where Diego is loading his bag onto the boat.

  “You’re ready on time,” he shouts as we approach.

  “We are,” Camille says. We give Diego our bags, and he gives us life jackets.

  I buckle mine then make sure my backpack is secure between my legs as the captain pushes us away from the bank. I turn around, noticing the dock getting smaller as we make our way down the river, and eventually I lose sight of it. The sun has come out, and a cool breeze hits my face as we meander through the water. Camille’s hair is secured in a braid, and she has her head tilted up toward the sun, soaking in the rays.

  Before I know it, the boat pulls up to the dock, the trip seemingly so much shorter than when we arrived.

  “Thank you,” we all yell to the captain.

  I nearly throw my back out carrying Camille’s luggage up the stairs, and I can’t help but wonder how such a petite little thing managed to carry it down in the first place. I smile, remembering that she was mad at me.

  “Wow. It’s toasty in here,” she says as we hop into the warm bus.

  “It is,” Diego says, fanning out his shirt. He rolls down all the windows to cool it down, and we take off.

  Camille is sitting across from me with her legs propped up on the seat, her back against the window.

  “You look tired.”

  “I am. We only got a few hours of sleep.”

  “But it was sure worth it,” I tell her, leaning up and playfully swatting her feet.

  “I know. It was fun, but I’m exhausted.” She leans her head back and is quickly asleep. I pull out a book, reading for a little until I can’t keep my eyes open anymore.

  I feel a persistent tapping on my arm. “Psst. Hey,” I hear Camille say. I let out a small groan, opening my eyes to see her sitting on the seat next to me.

  “Do you have any food?”

  “What?” I sit up and listen a little more closely, my ears not yet awake.

  “Food. I’m hungry,” she insists.

  “No.” I run my hands over my face and back through my hair. “You drained my stash of granola bars already.”

  She crosses her arms, pouting.

  “I’m sure we can find something at the airport. Have you been up for a while?”

  She pushes a strand of hair behind her ear, meeting my gaze. “Yeah. For maybe half an hour. You’ve been passed out. We have less than an hour until we are there.”

  “Wow. I can’t believe I slept for that long.”

  “I know. Me neither. I slept for a while, but then I just couldn’t get comfortable and so I decided to just be up. I can sleep on the plane.” She gives me a smile, but there is sadness in her eyes. I know how she feels. I’m not ready to leave her.

  “So, what’s the first thing you’re going to do when you get home? Actually, when do you get home?”

  “Uh, well I fly to Charlotte and have a layover there for a couple hours. I think my flight to London leaves around ten, meaning when I land there it will be the next morning. I suspect I’ll go straight home and sleep. What about you?”

  “I’m excited to sleep in my own bed. And to make my own food. I loved all the food we had, but I missed cooking at home, too. That’s probably the first thing I’m going to do tomorrow. Go to the store.” She laughs. “Lexi can survive on coffee and grapefruit.”

  “I didn’t really take you for the cooking type,” I say, honestly surprised. “What do you like to make?”

  “I’m talking salads and Chinese takeout. I don’t cook a lot, but I do like to experiment with food. My favorite thing I’ve made lately is vegetable curry. Every so often I’ll do a recipe post on my website to mix it up.” She grins at me. “See, I’m not just about makeup and fashion.”

  The time literally flies, and before I know it we’re parking at the airport. After Diego helps us get checked in, we make our way to security.

  “I’m going to miss you so much,” Camille squeals, squeezing Diego.

  “It was such a pleasure working with you two,” he says. “I hope you had a great time in Costa Rica.”

  “We did. It was a trip I will never forget,” Camille gushes. “You better keep in touch.”

  “Yeah, it was really great. Thank you again for everything,” I say, shaking his hand. Camille gives him one last enthusiastic wave as we head toward the security line.

  “Pura vida!” We hear him call out from behind us.

  “Pura vida,” Camille yells back. “This makes me so sad,” she says, trying to keep it together, but a small tear escapes onto her cheek.

  “Hey. It’s alright,” I say, rubbing her arm.

  “I just had so much fun. And Diego was so kind.”

  “He was great. We’ll have to make sure we let Janet know. And I’m sure with the article coming out, they will get a ton of new busin
ess. That’s a good thing.” I smile at her.

  “You’re right. I’ll have to send him a copy of it once it’s done,” she says.

  “I’m sure he would love that.”

  After we get through security, we get sandwiches to take on the plane. Then we wait in a long line to get Camille a coffee.

  “I can’t believe we’re already going home,” she says, taking a sip of it.

  “Yeah, it sucks,” I tell her honestly.

  “It does.” She looks up at me. We’ve made our way to her gate, and it’s going to start boarding any minute now. She seems really sad, and I wish I could fix it. Especially when she puts her chin down, refusing to look at me.

  “Camille, I had such a fun time with you. I want to keep in touch, and I meant what I said about getting together again. Soon.”

  Her body relaxes a little, and she slowly brings her gaze back to mine. “I would like that. I’m really going to miss you.” She throws an arm around my waist, pulling me into a hug, and squeezing me tightly as she buries her face in my shirt.

  “Come on now. Chin up. I don’t want to see you sad,” I say, bringing my hand to her hair and running it down her adorable braid.

  “I know,” she says, letting go of me to wipe away her tears.

  I didn’t expect this to be so hard. I knew it was coming, but everything about this moment just sucks.

  “Promise to call me when you get back?” I ask, looking down at her and trying to mask my sadness with a smile.

  She nods her head, a smile brightening her face.