A Week after Wyoming

The Wyoming Field Studies program was one of the greatest experiences I have had in my life. Most of the first few weeks were spent learning about the basics of Western ecology and geology and, interestingly, how modern patterns are a reflection of the deep past. Days and nights spent out on the property were…

Wyoming Spring Creek – A Bittersweet Farewell

I wasn’t supposed to ever go to Wyoming. I had originally signed up for a summer study abroad trip to Ecuador that got cancelled because of a lack of enrollment – and when I found out that the alternative was to go to Wyoming, I was more than a little disappointed. What could I possibly…

Wyoming Spring Creek – Final Goodbye

It’s hard to believe I just spent six weeks in Wyoming this summer. The first week of the trip felt like the longest week of my life and then all of a sudden I’m on a plane back to Pennsylvania. We covered so much ground out there (academically and physically) that it’s difficult to really…

Wyoming Concluded: A Letter to My Former Self

Hey girl hey – it’s me! Your future self! And guess what: right now you may be stuck in your hometown, working a retail job and worrying if you picked the right study away opportunity, but I’m here to tell you that you’re in for the summer of a lifetime. After you pack your bags…

Wyoming Spring Creek: Postcard to My Past-self

A letter to past myself from your present (or future self?),  When you used to look at a map of the US, the state of Wyoming would barely register as a blank rectangle floating in the middle of the country, however when you get back and scan the poster on your bedroom wall you can’t…

Wyoming Spring Creek – Home On the Range

I’m no scientist, but I’m closer than I was six weeks ago. For me, this field study was a little window into the the worlds of brilliant scientists like our instructors, guest speakers, and even some of my classmates. They blew me away. I learned about the history of the world and how it shapes…

Wyoming Spring Creek: Appreciating the Unknown

Looking back on my summer in Wyoming, I feel a sense of excitement and gratitude for my experiences that’s indescribable, but I’ll try to put it into words for my past self. As you’re about to leave for your trip, I know that you’re nervous for what’s to come. That’s typical. So, I want to…

Wyoming Spring Creek- How Much Can Six Weeks Really Change You?

When we had our pre-departure meeting back in April, our program coordinators and instructors joked about the culture shock we would experience going from the east coast to Wyoming and back again. I couldn’t imagine then that I would feel much of a difference at all. It’s all the same country, I thought to myself,…

Wyoming Spring Creek: A Final Goodbye

Overall, my study away experience was one of the most memorable experiences of my life time. I learned a lot, saw a lot, and made a lot of new friends. I notice as I read some of my classmates final blog posts that many of them wrote a kind of love letter to Wyoming. I…

Wyoming Spring Creek: A Short Six Weeks

After you return back to normal life in West Virginia post-Wyoming, you’ll look fondly on your adventures out west. I know you don’t have too many expectations going into it, but just know this field study was honestly a perfect balance of academic and personal growth surrounded by individuals passionate about the same thing you…