By Brianna Gualco

You know when you have ice in a glass and then pour water into it, the ice pops, and cracks? Well imagine hearing and feeling that while standing in the middle of a pond. Some may think it is no big deal but to this girl I was freaked out! Now, you may be asking yourself, what was I doing standing in the middle of a frozen pond? Well, that would be to ice fish! I have never ice fished before, but after my first fishing trip, I was hooked! Get it hooked?! Sometimes I just crack myself up haha.

Being in nature is my happy place. I often close my eyes, take a deep breath, and listen to my surroundings. Being raised in NH, winters never bothered me. Sure, the cold days make it difficult but going ice fishing brought a whole new perspective of the wonders the state of NH has to offer.

There were two types of fish caught that day. Nasty Pickerel which look like small barracudas. They are full of sharp teeth and slippery as heck. The other type is a Perch which looks like a sunfish. They have a spine on the top fin which can be painful, but they are good eating which is exactly what we did.

After catching about six Perch, we took them home to fillet them. I really shouldn’t say “we” filleted them because the extent of my help was holding the flashlight while Shawn did all the dirty work. I am an extreme lover of tacos (I could easily eat tacos every other day). So we breaded and fried up our wicked tasty catch.

When was the last time you had your perspective changed? Have you had an everyday task turn into a mindful moment? I’ve learned that when you open your eye and your mind, who knows what treasures you can find in life.

About the Author:

Brianna Gualco is a Student Eligibility Review Specialist at FAS. She recently joined the FAS family in January of 2021. Her three-and-a-half-year-old daughter is the center of her world. You can find them going to playgrounds, swimming, or having mommy be her model to practice makeup on.