July 2019
On my last home leave from Iraq, I was staying with family at my address of record enjoying a little bit of calm and normalcy. EHJ, my cousin/sister, suggested we visit the Butterfly House at the Hotel Hershey Gardens. It was an uncharacteristically cool and cloudy July day, but it didn't matter - we would be inside. We arrived, paid for our tickets, and entered the small, but fascinating "zoo" for those beautifully-winged insects.
The first impression was just greenery (and humidity). In fact, at first glance no butterflies were visible at all. Maybe I expected the air to be filled with them? I looked out over all the green and only saw an occasional flutter here and there. Alas, it appeared to be just a very nice tropical greenhouse, but then on closer inspection the plants were absolutely teeming with....butterflies. They were everywhere! Even if the room were small, there seemed to be a new kind of butterfly to observe every few INCHES. We slowly made our way around, nudging each other - "look at this one; oh, look at that one". The best, however, was yet to come.
One small section to the rear was labelled as the "maternity ward" There we saw a lot of chrysalises in various states of maturation. Some were nearly ready to burst and one was actively coming out of its hardened shell. Absolutely spellbound, I watched it for a long time. I think it may have been one of my best ever "zoo" experiences. I could have pulled up a chair and watched that wall of "butterflies yet to be" for hours. There was something totally compelling about it. Metamorphosis has been a theme throughout my life.
We eventually made our way back to the entrance and were checked for hitchhikers by an employee. Apparently, the butterflies often hitched a ride to the outside world and freedom unbeknownst to visitors. It had been a fascinating and uplifting visit. We exited and walked through the nearby (and locally famous) Rose Garden, but for me the best colors were back in that small hothouse converted to butterfly zoo. How amazing to discover something so wonderous so close to "home".