Snow Leopards.

Often times bloggers use Fridays as light hearted posts to start the fun of the weekend.  I realize I barely ever post anything about myself except random updates or musings about my travels.  Since most of you didn’t read or follow my blog in college you didn’t get to experience all those glorious moments with me.  I would have to say as many stories as I have post college, I have plenty more during college. In reality I only blogged some of junior and senior year.

Instead of telling you my favorite color is yellow or my favorite two college courses were modern dance and calculus I thought I’d share a humorous story.

In high school I always wanted to be a zoologist.  I loved animals (and still do).  Not pets but wild creatures, my favorite being big cats.  Lions, tigers, snow leopards, black leopards, ocelots…I love them all.  Throughout high school I applied to programs that would allow me to study zoology and I somehow wanted to focus on working with big cats.  I had dreams.  In 10^th grade,  I discovered my passion for mathematics and that is how I settled on a double major in math and education.  (Until I changed my mind junior year of college to community health).  As you can see, I clearly fit the “we change our minds and majors” in college.  You should do what makes you happy.

But this story is not about college, math or education. 

It’s about the time I hopped a fence and climbed through bushes to be nose to nose with a snow leopard. It can be considered the most badass thing I’ve ever done.  If you know me then you know I don’t do that sort of thing.

While walking around the zoo junior year, I saw they had one of my favorite animals, a snow leopard.  I was excited because those are rare in southern zoos and to see one up close made me happy.  When we arrived to the exhibit I realized it was nowhere to be seen.  My heart, my dreams, my soul were crushed.  I had driven the 90 minutes north to this zoo to see animals (but mostly the snow leopard). I sat there sulking for a few minutes.

Then I saw a dad with his young child pointing to the far most corner.  I saw it but it was sleeping against the fence.  Sleeping in the corner.  I respected that; the poor leopard must have been tired.  For some reason (the reason not being alcohol) I wanted a closer look.  I saw there was a bunch of bushes between that chain link fence and the paved pathway.  When I saw that opening I knew I was going to make a risky decision.  I was going to climb through the bushes like Dora the Explorer and get nose to nose with the leopard on the other side of the fence.  The fence was still separating us but I’m almost positive that I would have been escorted out if zoo security saw me.  The person with me was shocked at my boldness but I barrel rolled and climbed through the bushes and found the snow leopard.

After realizing he was awake and was making complete eye contact with me, I decided I had had too much adventure for one day.  I wish I could tell you zoo security came and took me away but no one ever knew.  Until now that I share my deep dark secrets with the internet, but don’t tell my parents….

Thus we just continued to walk around the zoo afterwards with a few laughs.  So yes internet friends  be a risk taker but don’t get attacked by zoo animals.  Do be a risk taker in college and choose what makes you happy.  There was still a chain link fence between us so it’s not like I dove into the cage.

Questions for you:  Most risky thing you have ever done?