As our People and Other Animals – Writing Wyoming program rounds to an end, I have learned many valuable lessons throughout these three weeks in Wyoming. It has been an immense honor to tour around Wyoming and learn so much more about anthropology, wildlife, and the natural world around me.

First, I have learned so much about anthropology throughout this program. There have been so many examples of my time here where I have caught myself being more observant of my senses and those around me. Fieldnotes, projects we have worked on during this program, have influenced the way I approach my daily life in a major way. I am more observant, I am more careful of my surroundings, and I have a deeper appreciation of the small details in the world around me.

Second, I have learned more about Wyoming history and Wyoming culture. Activities like ranching, rodeos, and line-dancing have significantly taught me about a culture that differs so much from Pittsburgh or Minneapolis. Exposure to new cultures is always an inherently valuable experience, especially in my eyes. Wyoming’s culture is diverse and unique because of its role in the American West. Especially while spending time in Laramie, Wyoming, it was valuable for me to immerse myself in an entirely new culture. Fieldnotes definitely helped with that but I kept catching myself being more observant.

Another major lesson I have learned is to always be fully observant of my surroundings. In Wyoming at AMK Ranch, we were warned about bears and moose in the area. My job in the group was to manage the bear spray on hikes, an important precaution that is necessary. On such hikes, my job was simple. Always be observant and watch out for wildlife around me. Did we ever see a bear? Absolutely not, but I was constantly prepared and observant. It is a lesson and skill that I have always had, but the necessity of the situation developed it more. In Pittsburgh and Minnesota, it is always valuable to be constantly aware of one’s surroundings around them, and Wyoming has incredibly helped with that.

This program had a lot of writing, which will be incredibly valuable for not only the rest of my Pitt career but the rest of my life. A lot of time was spent writing, thinking, and planning out fieldnotes and my final paper on pronghorn migration in Wyoming. The rigor and workload was difficult but it will prove to be highly beneficial for me in the long run, so I am very happy.

For all of these skills, they are nothing without daily practice, implementation, and effort. These skills are inherently valuable and if I practice them, they will help me majorly throughout the rest of my life. Especially with the intensive writing, it will help me undoubtedly as an engineer, which was my ultimate goal on this trip

This trip has brought me closer to my classmates and teachers on this program, and I have built close friendships throughout these 3 weeks. I have had a complete blast on this trip and has been one of the, if not the, most memorable part of my college experience so far. My parting piece of advice and lesson learned is to not drop a canoe on your own hip. It does not feel good in the slightest. Always be attentive of the surroundings and know one’s strengths and boundaries.

Shoutout to the Cowboy State!