07 Jun Between Sunrise and Sunset

My name is Monique Byro, and I’ve never not lived in Florida.

I jumped at the opportunity to move to South Carolina and work as a recreation intern at Fort Moultrie faster than I could think, and in the weeks leading up to my internship I got more and more excited with each passing day. When May 26th came around, I watched the sun rise in Gainesville, Florida, I packed up my car and drove a few hours, and then I watched the sun set in Charleston, South Carolina.

The time in between was a hodgepodge of emotions. Would I make friends? Would I like living somewhere I’d never even visited before? Doubt set in fast. I started to question whether I’d be able to make a new home for myself. Then I began to think about my parents. Both immigrants, they traveled from their respective countries to the US when they were young because they wanted to make better lives for themselves. Although they did not know exactly what they’d do, they had faith in that everything would be alright. And so, I figured that if they could relocate to America over multiple countries, I could move up a state or two. I resolved within myself that home is wherever I choose it to be.

During my first week at Fort Moultrie National Historic Park I was greeted by wonderfully passionate people. The fort is expansive, and explored by many, animals and people alike. Boxed in by a beach, a maritime forest, and a dock, it is an interesting meld of scenery. Jumping into work was exciting and only slightly overwhelming, but I know great things await. I really feel like together the staff and I can make great changes in the community. I hope to make the fort feel not only like home for me, but for others who live around it and have not yet experienced how wonderful the site can be.