I’m all wrapped up and finished with my internship. I spent my last month preparing documents and GIS databases for the Visual Resources Inventory report for Newcastle, WY. So, I’ve been in the office a lot. It was really satisfying to see the culmination of my work over the summer in the form that it would appear in an official government report.

Our intern/seasonal house is empty. My desk is cleaned out. It’s a strange and sad feeling after my longest stint away from the city of Chicago. I’ve come home to a bit of culture shock that is more jarring than my move to Wyoming. I find myself pinned in by walls of construction and cars. I was extremely lucky to be placed in Buffalo, WY with many other seasonals/interns. Over the course of six months, our house provided a home to seven different people. We worked hard and played hard. My boss made sure that I was prepared to do the GIS work that would be required of me, despite my lack of familiarity on the software. Yet she always made sure I got to go out and did other things. Mapping sensitive species, possible seed collections, surveying possible sites of cultural value, and recreation site access and maintenance were all part of my internship experience. Definitely something I could never get in Chicago. Thanks for everything Buffalo! And thank you CBG for the opportunity.