As I write my last blog post, I’m sitting in my living room back in Kansas in the midst of a job search, hoping to find something that will tide me over until next field season. My internship in Wyoming is complete, and it was with a heavy heart that I left to start a new chapter. My time with the BLM was amazing, and I feel like I learned just as much this last summer as I did my whole undergrad career. From how to beat the sun where there are no trees, to what kind of food to pack for long field days, to which mud puddles are perhaps not worth the risk of driving through, my experience has given me the opportunity to learn many things about the world around me, as well as myself.

Certainly the hardest part of leaving my internship was saying goodbye to all of the wonderful people I met in Buffalo. I had the pleasure of working for some amazing people at the BLM, and I was very sad to leave them. Although they see new interns every summer, they still made us feel just as welcome as anyone else in the office, and they did their best to assure that we were involved in some very cool projects. It was also great working with Krissa and Wes (though I didn’t get the chance to meet them in person), as they were always very understanding and ready to help with anything we needed. Most of all, I will dearly miss my fellow CLM interns Sean, Nick, and Kelly. It was really great working with this crew, and we had an absolute blast this summer. I made many good friends in Wyoming, and I should hope I get the pleasure of seeing them again someday.

I really can’t say enough good things about this program. I had an amazing experience working with CLM and the BLM, and I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking for an internship in plant or environmental science.