Where have the last five months gone? It\u2019s my last day at the BLM in Vernal and it\u2019s strange to think I probably won\u2019t ever be back here. Well, in this office, that is. The way it stands right now, I\u2019m going to hang around Vernal until I find a permanent job or I\u2019m accepted to a graduate school program.<\/p>\n
That sentence itself demonstrates how much my mindset has changed over the past five months. My original intention for this internship was to gain experience that would enable me to land a seasonal GS-5 position next field season. After that, I had a vague plan of working up the seasonal ladder before landing a full-time, permanent position with the federal government. I worked as a Biological Science Technician (GS-0404-04) for the USGS in South Dakota a couple years ago and since then, I\u2019ve had tunnel vision about working for the feds.<\/p>\n
As I stated above, though, that\u2019s no longer my plan. As much as I would love to continue to living a transient life, working as a seasonal for the government, I won\u2019t. Part of it is my personal family situation. The largest part, though, is that I don\u2019t want to. I\u2019ve learned so much during this internship and I\u2019ve definitely felt challenged, but I plateaued around the halfway point. I\u2019ve enjoyed participating in Seeds of Success and helping the weed crew tackle invasives, but I need more challenges. I can bring so much more to the table if given the chance. And it seems the fastest way to be given a chance is to get my Master\u2019s. It\u2019s always been my intention to do so, but this internship has just spurred me to expedite the process.<\/p>\n
This internship has also given me more perspective on working for the federal government and I gotta admit, it\u2019s not my dream any more. Don\u2019t get me wrong, I would still work for the government if given the chance. After working in this office, I\u2019ve become more familiar with positions I could qualify for and I\u2019ve made some professional connections so my odds are better. I\u2019ve experienced the downsides to it, though, and I\u2019ve let go of my idolization. My internship has grounded me and forced me to become more realistic. And I\u2019m grateful for it. I\u2019ve been able to use the tools provided by the program to expand my job search to include other entities besides the federal government.<\/p>\n
To be clear, I\u2019ve definitely enjoyed this internship! I would (and will) highly recommend it! This has been my first position that\u2019s actually forced me to use a dichotomous key to (sometimes laboriously) key out a species. I\u2019ve learned to identify so many plants, but have also realized that I\u2019ll never know all of them. And while I should be confident in my identification, I should never be afraid to check myself and admit if I\u2019m wrong.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve never actively protested herbicide application to control invasive plants, but I worked in an environmental chemistry lab so sometimes it\u2019s difficult for me to think about where all those chemicals could be leaching. After walking through stands of Russian olive and swaths of teasel, though, I\u2019ve realized that a lot of the time, herbicide application is the only way to control infestations.<\/p>\n
Since I\u2019ll be working odd jobs until my next career move, I\u2019ve definitely appreciated the normal hours (and the pay) of the internship. One downside, though, is the copious amounts of driving necessary to cover this area. I\u2019m sure other interns also experienced this, but I am so over driving 2+ hours just to get to a site. I would rather stay closer to the office and hike around, but I realize that\u2019s rather unrealistic in the West.<\/p>\n
I\u2019m really happy that I landed a position in Utah as I\u2019ve always been enamored with this state. In and outside of work, I\u2019ve seen a lot of cool things and I\u2019m very grateful for that. I feel like I can move on to other states now and feel content with my Utah experience. As for Vernal itself, however, I haven\u2019t fallen in love with it. I\u2019ve discovered some gems, but in general the town seems geared toward fast food, big trucks, oil and gas, and church \u2013 none of which is my scene. After this, I\u2019m aiming to live in a college town again, where I hope I\u2019ll be around more like-minded people.<\/p>\n
This has been an amazing experience and I\u2019m immensely grateful to all those who helped me apply for an internship and make the most of it. A big thank you to Nadia, Tim, Amy, Jessi, Krissa, and Rebecca!<\/p>\n
Stay classy, fellow interns.<\/p>\n
-Dani<\/p>\n
BLM<\/p>\n
Vernal, UT<\/p>\n
\u201cThe world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.\u201d<\/p>\n
II John Muir II<\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/dev-clm-blog.pantheonsite.io\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Final_1.jpg\")
<\/a>The Pink Dino – my favorite landmark in Vernal.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Where have the last five months gone? It\u2019s my last day at the BLM in Vernal and it\u2019s strange to think I probably won\u2019t ever be back here. Well, in this office, that is. The way it stands right now, … Continue reading