I traveled over 3,000 miles to get to Carson City, Nevada. Once here, I found out the surrounding lands were very different from what I originally imagined it would be like.

This internship proved to provide me with multiple opportunities to expand and grow though my experiences. The Drive across the nation was one of the most amazing journeys I took. I drove out with my two best friends Doug and Lady, the dog I rescued in high school. All of us were on a limited budget, we had with no reservations and only vague ideas of national parks and general destinations we wanted to camp at and visit. I felt a little like Kerouac embarking on the ultimate adventure, a right of passage almost.

Since I began my internship I’ve met great people and have been able to participate in various projects. Our team of nine interns accomplished a great task of planting 21,000 Bitterbrush seedlings as a fire restoration project. Although the work was challenging we made each day entertaining and unique. While we were busy helping establish the bitterbrush seedlings into their new homes I was able to begin to become introduced to the plants of the west. I became familiar with the landscape and as time went on and we took on monitoring, and conservation projects I found myself adjusting to life out west.

I still have a lot to learn so off I am on another busy work week in Carson City, Nevada.