When twelve, I spent two weeks of summer in Mexico with botanists—a grad student, Dad, maternal grandparents—a collecting trip of mosses, with an earthworm dissertation sideline. I was on earthworm duty. We clambered out of the dusty, once-white van to side-step down a mountainside in Oaxaca. I chose a spot, moved leaves, carefully dug in, uncovered, with surprise, the longest worm I had ever seen. Dad brought me a vial of alcohol (not for drinking) to put the eight-inch-plus wriggler into. Collected, the worm died. Childish scrawl, I documented where and when. After all, this was science.
Julia Clebsch (she/her) writes CNF memoir exploring place, family, and nature. The lesbian writer’s work is published in Five Minutes, HOOT Review, Mouthful of Salt, and elsewhere. “Worms in Mexico” is the Editor’s Pick for our UNUSUAL VACATIONS contest, part of our 2026 Micromemoir Marathon.