A bead of sweat shines on my forehead as I walk down the hot cement; I could almost feel the heat radiating through the rubber soles of my beat-up shoes. My genuine smile burned bright—luckily, not from the heat but pure joy.

I was in one of my favorite places, Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, and while it may not be my favorite of the four parks, the memories I have made there glow greatly in my mind. I have been lucky enough to experience these parks more than once, but each time I travel, I seem to find a new hidden gem each time.

This trip: the Otter Grotto.

Though it may sound so simple, the small cave that dips beneath the sidewalk became a place of serenity. In a place with such bustling energy as Animal Kingdom, finding a refreshing calm is rare, but I am one of the lucky ones.

The Otter Grotto is exactly as it sounds: a cave-like structure by a body of water with glass preventing it from spilling in. Within those waters are a few otters all minding their own business, but that is not why I love it so.

When enduring the heat for the better half of the day, buying a frozen lemonade and residing in one place with full coverage shade, is a blessing.

A small stone ledge lines the glass, with just enough room for 2 people to sit, watch, and in our case, regroup. There is something so peaceful about the way the otters swim and the conversations we have as they do so. 

Although my ice cream was melting rapidly and dripping down into the napkin protecting my hand, I couldn’t help but smile.

It felt as though I finally had a moment to take in the joy I had the past couple of days. Because of the crowds and fast-paced nature of the vacation, I hadn’t had any time to process the core memory moments I was experiencing.

As the otters made their laps around the tank, I did some people-watching. I consider myself an observer, just constantly taking in the habits and quirks of others and analyzing strangers’ conversations and mannerisms, and this was the perfect place to do so.

A mother telling her child not to touch the glass, her voice has an edge yet a sympathetic tone to it to keep the child calm. A little girl and her grandfather chatting about how she is enjoying her first time in Disney World, pureness behind her eyes as she exclaims each tiny detail.

I wonder if others are observing us, analyzing our conversations as my friend and I discuss how tired yet grateful we are. I wonder if they look at the two teenage girls, with our bags slung around our bodies and our phones in hand as we reflect on the many photos we have taken that day and assign a stereotype to our presence.

It must have been almost an hour before we eventually made the trek out of the cave and continued on our adventures, but for the rest of the day, I treasured those moments of serenity.

I would like to think somewhere out there someone is experiencing the fascinating people-watching spot that is The Otter Grotto and appreciating it just as much as I do.