The Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens holds a special place in my heart for the many memories my little family has made there. I could go on and on about our love for the zoo, but I’d love to share my most recent zoo adventure! I got to explore the new primate exhibit, the African Forest, as Jane alongside Tarzan!
First, I have to say, the African Forest made me feel like I had an actual wildlife encounter. They have incorporated a new design that not only allows the animals more freedom to explore but also allows animals and people to safely view each other eye-to-eye like never before. No longer are the bonobos stuck on an island surrounded by a mote where visitors look down upon them from above. The primates can now walk and explore on the same level as humans while both are safely separated, and the wonderful news- both animals and humans love it! The care takers said the monkeys have been so active and happy because they can see children for the first time! Learning some behind-the-scenes information about these amazing creatures was a blast, and it made me feel just like Jane as I excitedly learned so much about them. It is a must see, wellness-inspired exhibit that you must check out!
As for my experience as Jane, it was exciting to interact with children as well!
This was my first time dressing up as a character to interact with the public. As I was getting ready, I realized my heart was racing as if I was about to step on stage or speak in public, but that all changed as we got out into the zoo among all the visitors. Next thing I knew, I was asking visitors if they had seen any gorillas in my best British accent.
It was like a social experiment to see who excitedly ran up to meet, hug, and talk to us versus who shyly glanced over or didn’t dare to look at all. As for me, I surprised myself by not only kicking into character but following my motherly instincts to make some shy interactions easier. I did this by getting on to same level as some of the young ones, and I would ask fun and distracting questions like “What do you think monkeys eat?” and “Can you talk like a gorilla?? Tarzan can!”. Seeing the smiles, hearing the giggles, and even being asked for an autograph made me feel like I was giving the children an experience like a Disney theme park, and I know that’s a magical feeling.
I even recognized several visitors from “real life”, and they didn’t even recognize me! They took pictures with me! I almost felt as if I was wearing a mask, but I was wearing the character. It was odd to realize they saw Jane instead of Kat from school or the office.
It was a “wild” experience in many ways! Special thanks to the Jacksonville Zoo for offering me to be a part of the big opening and thanks to GAAM for thinking of me for the role ❤
Most of all, I have to thank my best friend Sarah who made this homemade costume possible!!
#momlife #momblog #nerdymom
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Introduction- What’s in a Blog Name?
Hello, I’m Kat, a lover of art, fan of nerd culture and the proud mother of a little girl. They often say people change their name when they have experienced a major life change or want to start over. ‘That Nerdy Mom’ is a name I chose for myself and my art page after the birth of my daughter; both out of my insecurities and later self-empowerment. Let me explain…
When I found out I was pregnant, my world turned upside down. I was scared! I was finding being an adult to be hard enough, but now I was thrown for a loop imaging myself being responsible for another life.
I wondered what most mom’s do- Would I be a good enough mother?
So I did what I normally do when confused- research. Books, articles, blogs, I searched for answers to prepare myself when I ran across something upsetting…one writer said, when you are a mother, you will no longer be called by your name, you will be “::child’s name:: mom”.
This raised a new concern for me I did not have before…, could I lose my identity to become a mother?
I then pictured myself at a playground meeting other moms. What would we talk about? The kids of course..but what if I want to talk about how fun a videogame is, what’s the most recent animated film or what the cutest family costumes could be? I already grew up in an environment were my interests were just deemed weird or really geeky. Would that continue now into motherhood?
Not only was I afraid of losing my name but being known as “that nerdy mom” by strangers?!
Then I started to embrace it. It’s taken me a long time to embrace myself for my quirks and interests. I decided I wouldn’t stop being who I was and doing what I enjoyed because I don’t fit the standard mom stereotype. What better example could I be for my daughter than to love myself and not be ashamed by my passions and dreams no matter how uncommon or how long it takes! So here I am writing a post for a Blog- that’s been several years in the making- about a nerdy mom who loves sharing all things geeky while having fun with her 4 year old daughter!
That Nerdy Mom 