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Alyssa Sherwin

Professor Green

ENG111

26 February 2021

Sensory Overload

August 2017. It was a relatively hot day and it was close to the time of my 14th birthday.

I had made plans for my parents to take me and a friend to Busch Gardens as a birthday present.

Busch Gardens is a place that can give a sensory overload to many people; there are many

different sights, smells, feelings, etc. that can affect one’s senses.

We got there early in the morning so that we could spend most of the day having fun and

hanging out together. I remember the acoustical effect of my heart beating from excitement as

we were waiting to get through the line into the park. Once we finally got through, the ringing of

laughter and screams filled my ear. I was excited to get started so my friend and I made a plan

about what roller coasters we wanted to ride and what exactly we wanted to do that day. Busch

Gardens is divided into different “countries” and each country has different theme music playing.

The mood in each country is also unique; even though they are all cheerful, they all have

different themes that originate from their respective country.

It was a hot, humid, summer day, so everyone seemed overheated and I felt the blazing

rays of sun hitting my skin. Busch Gardens is known for a couple of things: rollercoasters, food,

and their shows. On this specific day that we went, my friend and I went on most of the 13

rollercoasters that they have at the park. The thrill from each ride had adrenaline pumping

through my body; I could feel it pulsing in my blood from the overloaded excitement running

through my system. I remember my favorite ride from this specific trip was InvadR which is a
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wooden rollercoaster that was new at the time that I went. Because it is a wooden rollercoaster, it

is not as plain sailing as most metal rollercoasters that are offered at this location of Busch

Gardens. Instead, it was very jolting and rough to ride, which made it even more fun for me.

The aroma of soft-baked pretzels filled the air as we travelled into Germany by foot.

Along with these unique moods in each “country,” they also have diversified foods relative to

each culture. I remember getting pretzels in “Germany” that were tangy from the salt but also

dense and squishy. I also remember the citrusy flavor burst of Pepsi hitting my tastebuds as I was

trying to rehydrate during this hot, summer day.

There were also distinct tastes and smells in the ride Escape from Pompeii, a water ride in

Italy. As we were walking into Italy, the fragrance of the brackish water from this attraction was

very potent. We went on the ride and felt the heat from the fire inside. At the end, you go down a

very steep hill and, most of the time, you get splashed with water. After the ride, all of my

clothes were water-absorbed and were sticking to my skin. When we got off, I had an after taste

from the saltwater we got splashed with. The brackish taste only made me more dehydrated so

we went to get bottled water after.

The visual appeals at Busch Gardens are an important reason why a lot of people go.

There are lights, attractions, and people that all play into effect on the visual sense. I know when

I went, it was amazing to see all of the different people, cultures, rides, etc. I find it nice when a

place is very visually appealing because it makes it more attractive to guests. As mentioned

before, there are different “countries” throughout Busch Gardens. Each section has the

representative flags from their country throughout. There are also a lot of colors unique to each

section. For example, the Germany section is all colored with pitch black, scarlet red, and

sunshine yellow, which are the flag’s colors for Germany.

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Busch Gardens can be considered a sensory overload; there are many different sensory

appeals that can be intense sometimes. With all of the contrasting sounds, smells, sights, and

tastes, it can sometimes be an overwhelming experience to go to Busch Gardens. For me, it is a

good kind of chaos and is one of the best experiences of my life.

GRADING RUBRIC:

Description that appeals to sight: 15%

Description that appeals to hearing: 15%

Description that appeals to touch: 15%

Description that appeals to taste: 15%

Description that appeals to smell: 15%

Writing that is lively, interesting, and mechanically correct: 15%

Correct MLA formatting: 10%

Excellent thinking and writing!