A woman's odyssey to take out the trash in alligator-infested waters is having people question how often they complain about doing daily chores.
Katie, or KayakKatie as she's known on TikTok, lives with her husband in a house surrounded by water on Georgia's Satilla River.
Every week, she has to cross "gator waters" to discard the trash in a dumpster.
Highlights
- A woman journeys across gator-infested waters to take out the trash.
- Katie has lived on Georgia's Satilla River for 25 years, embracing outdoor life despite floods and alligators.
- "Gator waders" and a kayak are essential for Katie's routine in the wildlife-rich environment.
The adventurous woman documented the process in a recent video, which caught people's attention and amassed over 8 million views.
"Step one: get your gator waders," Katie described as she put on her high waterproof boots and suit.
"Step two: get your Chihuahua," she said, placing her furry friend inside her overalls.
The last step was, of course, to load the trash onto a kayak and face her not-so-friendly neighbors.
Image credits: satillarivertreehouse
When Katie reached land, she hopped on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to reach the dumpster. However, on that occasion, the gate was locked, which meant Katie had to complete her route on foot.
"Unfortunately, the guys locked it before they left this morning, so I have to walk the rest of the way," the woman said. After discarding the trash, she filmed the reverse path that led her back home.
People were surprised with how relaxed Katie seemed while navigating the dangerous waters, writing, "I was out at 'gator waders' if I'm honest! These guys should've taken that trash!!"
"As soon as you said step one was getting your 'gator waders,' I knew we were in for a ride," another person commented.
"I don't even like getting up to go to the bathroom," somebody else quipped.
Katie moved to the A-frame cabin on Georgia's Satilla River with her husband 25 years ago
Image credits: satillarivertreehouse
"This is like the route Barbie had to take to get to the real world," a separate TikTok user added, referencing Greta Gerwig's popular film.
Another person thought the situation looked a little too familiar. "When your friend invites you over for dinner, but you gotta drive, hike, take a 4-wheeler ride, and row to get there."
As Katie explained in a separate video, her family has always loved the outdoors and has enjoyed camping ever since her children were little.
When her children grew older, she and her husband began considering the idea of settling down by the river. A real estate agent then showed her a photo of their current A-frame cabin, and any doubt lingering in Katie's mind quickly disappeared.
"That's when we decided that we couldn't live without [the house] and we had to move."
"Step one: get your gator waders," Katie described as she put on her high waterproof boots to face her not-so-friendly neighbors
Image credits: @southernadventurehunter
At the time, floods in the Satilla River weren't as common.
"We didn't know to what extent it flooded or how high it would flood," she explained, showing a photo of the dry river from the time they bought the property 25 years ago.
"From what the neighbors say, this is an extremely unusual weather pattern that we're in, where we're constantly flooding."
The Satilla River rises in Ben Hill County, Georgia, near the town of Fitzgerald, and it flows in a mostly easterly direction to the Atlantic Ocean.
The mother loads the trash onto a kayak before crossing the river
Image credits: @southernadventurehunter
Image credits: @southernadventurehunter
Naturally, another unwritten requirement to purchase the house was not being completely terrified of alligators.
"We're not terrified of wildlife. We've been used to [alligators] for our whole married life. The kids are used to it. We love it. That's why we choose to live here," she shared.
When the river floods, it gets more difficult to do daily activities like taking out the trash. "But we do those things because we absolutely love the way we live and wouldn't have it another way."
Watch the viral video below:
Floods in the Satilla River weren't as common when she and her husband bought the home, Katie explained
Instead of being scared of the predators she may encounter, the Georgia resident perceives them as yet another component of the ecosystem where she has chosen to spend her life.
"The birds, trash runs, gators, snakes, none of that compares to the peace and serenity that we feel," the mother expressed. "To me, the struggles are nothing compared to the benefits of being here for our mental and physical health."
In case you were wondering how she would react if she were ever attacked by a fierce alligator, Kelley doesn't have to meditate much on her answer: "I guess, fight him."
People were rather impressed by Katie's relaxed attitude while crossing the river
