Throughout my program in Batumi I would often use the Russian phrase найти общий язык when speaking to people about my adjustment to Georgia, when making new friends, and when seeking understanding with my Georgian host family. Найти общий язык means “to find a common language” and usually people use this phrase when expressing the…
Tag: Summer 2022
Finishing Strong: A Letter to My Past Self
It’s been almost two months that I have been in Batumi, but the person I was when I stepped off the train six weeks ago was so different from the person packing up her suitcase and confirming her flight back to the United States in just a few days. There has been significant progress towards…
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…
Brackenridge: My Cohort
When first applying to the Brackenridge Fellowship, I was aware of the emphasis on interdisciplinary work and engagement; however, I was not sure what this would look like in practice within the fellowship. I was really surprised and excited to hear about the cohort system that I am lucky enough to be involved in this…
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 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,…