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…
Tag: Wyoming
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 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…
Wyoming Spring Creek: Letter to Myself
This letter begins with immense gratitude for my past self. I am so amazed and thankful for her for feeling so eager to experience the world, and then proving it to herself by making it happen. In a way, I still cannot believe that you threw yourself into completely new academic, social, and physical situations…