08/31/2026
Hey Yall, Mrs. Old Florida Vibes here!
Hunter, Baby Old Florida Vibes, and I are all just catching our breath after a very heart-filling and uplifting weekend. The Back to Swamp Bash in support of the Old Florida Vibes Scholarship brought together artists, conservationists, advocates, and a whole community of support for the future generation of Florida defenders, and we couldn’t be more grateful.
In the midst of the event, I had to slip away to a quieter space to feed baby and finally had a moment to just take it in. I could still hear the buzz of folks in the brewery, and it felt so good. The energy was high despite the wicked wave of heat and rain the day brought. My mom came in and asked how I was feeling. And I said, “full.”
And then I shared something along the lines of this: “I’m full of peace. Full of comfort. Full of excitement for what’s to come. All because mingling out in the brewery is the community we have the joy of raising up our sweet girl in. She gets to physically and figuratively look up to Springs Warriors, wickedly talented artists, Geneticists, Land Managers, Underwater Explorers, Oyster Farmers, Python Hunters, songwriters, Geologists, Crocodilian Biologists, Foresters, Veterans, Preservationists, Brewers, Makers, and folks with a whole host of degrees and qualifications that would take decades to explain. And all those people came to share their expertise with the next generation.”
The news cycle can make things feel bleak, but the folks in the field doing the thing, the folks that showed up to support the future, and the students who show up to learn give so much hope for a better tomorrow.
So, for those who made the evening possible, thank you. For those who showed up or sent their support from afar, thank you. To the bands who hung in and kept the vibes high as the rain was falling, thank you! AND a massive thanks to First Magnitude Brewing Co. for continuing to open up their space (I call it Gainesville’s front porch) for the magic to happen. Hunter and I are so very grateful, and words just can’t say it enough.
Stay Wild and MUCH LOVE!
Chelsea and Hunters
