Like all of the interns, I had been eagerly awaiting the start of our program and was looking forward to meeting the team I would be working with for the next six months. The interns working with New England Wild Flower Society first met at the check-in counter of Logan International Airport and, after only a brief introduction to one another, we set off on our journey. Conversation flowed easily as we shared stories of past field experience and places that inspired us to follow our passion for conservation. It’s no wonder our excitement built up thinking about our trip to North Carolina Botanical Garden for our training on field protocol.

Our flight between Boston and New York went by quickly, and soon enough we found ourselves at our next gate ‘talking story’ and enjoying each others company. Meanwhile, fog had rolled in and delayed in our flight. On the upside, we had more time to bond. But as we chatted, the weather got worse and our lighthearted conversations did not match the increasing heaviness of the weather outside. Soon enough our “Delayed” flight changed to “Canceled”.

In a matter or moments we had come together and started brainstorming about the possibilities of making it down to NC for as much of three day training as possible. There would be no flights for 24 hours and flying to nearby cities would not pan out. In the end, we made the decision that if we drove, we could arrive before the training started (short of a first dinner together and a bit of sleep).

For the next nine hours we rotated driving, making our way south through the night. At times the rain came down in buckets and I was afraid that the thunder would wake the crew that was fortunate enough to fall asleep in the back of the van. At 4:30 in the morning we made it to our hotel, just in time for a quick nap before waking up and attending the first day of our training. Despite being a bit tired, we were all excited to start this new chapter, all the more because we knew that we had a strong team that willing and able to take on unexpected challenges (with great attitudes too boot!).