“In a day when you don’t come across any problems — you can be sure that you are on the wrong path”  – Swami Vivekananda

I doubt Vivekananda was performing field work when he said this quote.  It does however, add a positive perspective to the inherent problems and obstacles that comes with preforming field work.

In the past weeks, my team has had our fair share of problems to overcome. We have been stopped by locked gates, turned around by “NO TRESPASSING” signs, led astray by wrong turns, and delayed by severely washed out roads. We have encountered dark storm clouds and seas of Sisymbrium altissimum that make our job as hard as finding a needle in a hay stack.

Although, I would appreciate a field day that goes 100% according to plan; I must reflect on Vivekananda’s wise words and think about where this internship is taking me. My time here is a learning experience, which is not possible without encountering an obstacle here and there. Each day brings new problems to be solved, allowing me to  develop my skill set that will continue to take me down the right path.

An impassible, washed out road that made itself known

“No Trespassing” signs are everywhere!

Sometimes the “Keep Out” signs are quite peculiar

A sea of Sisymbrium altissimum that was encountered while fire monitoring.