The Traveling Ecologist

Author: The Traveling Ecologist

  • My Next Adventure

    No Plan is My Plan!

    I am currently graduating with my Forest Ecology degree with absolutely no idea where I’m going next. I have been applying to jobs, but because of a number of ongoing hurdles, I have not landed anything yet. So the world is my oyster? ( insert stressful laugh here) On the brighter side of things, I did get accepted into graduate school (Woohoo!). I am continuing my education at Utah State University by going into the Master’s of Natural Resources, and all of my classes are online. So while I have a structured plan, I actually have no idea what’s going on. 

    Many most likely think of a pilgrimage as a grand, physical journey to a holy land, but my next chapter is shaping up to be a more internal and immediate kind of quest. I have my destination—the Master’s of NR program —but the actual pilgrimage is the time between now and then, the unforgiving and wandering path of finding where I will be next and what kind of work I will be doing. 

    All of these “ongoing hurdles” I’ve been trying to overcome have turned out to be my own pilgrimage trails. They are the stretches of uncertainty and rough terrain on my personalized map. My own journey is full of trials but honestly, it has all been worth it. I have found out things about myself I never would have, traveled to places I would have never seen, and met some of the most important parts of my life.; 

    I think the most ironic part of my path and quest is that I have had a structured, detailed plan my whole time at USU until now. I now don’t know where I’ll be living in 30 days, what kind of work I’ll find, or who I’ll meet next.  My stomach is full of butterflies, but in a good way! I know the Universe will guide me in whatever way I need to go and I know it. I’ve recently read, “The Alchemist” and the storyline of that book has made me realize how important it is to trust the process of my pilgrimage and find my own “Personal Legend.”

  • Exploring Central California: A Perfect Reunion

    Olivia and I have been close friends for years and live across the country from each other, so we decided to meet in central California for a little reunion. We intended to leave all our worries behind for a week, which was well deserved. We went a couple of months after the holidays, and needed to relieve some of our built-up stress. We wanted to indulge ourselves in the beauty of all the parks in the area. In this photo, we are at Pfeiffer Big Sur state park, watching the seals play on the shoreline. We both lived in states that have brutal winters, so we were soaking in the sun every moment we could.

    Next on our list was traveling highway 1 to see Big Sur. This is Bigsby Bridge, a famous area for photography. We drove across the coast for hours, stopping whenever we pleased, listening to good music, and sharing even better company. The smell of salt water filled our lungs, and without realizing it we were making memories we would never forget. The highway was closed after about 60 miles, so we found a waterfall to hike to and turned back. 

     One of our must-see adventures was finding old-growth redwoods. We wanted to be surrounded by some of the oldest and largest organisms and the world. We went to The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park and found more than we could have ever imagined. The trees were massive, creating an oasis in the middle of a small town. We found banana slugs everywhere, babbling brooks creating an incredible background noise, and got to hug some of the biggest trees we’ll ever witness! We talked about our dreams and aspirations while walking through one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. 

    We wanted to understand some of the culture in the area, so we stopped in Santa Cruz and found an amazing beach. The clouds were rolling in over the mountains while the surf crashed onto the rocky beach. Olivia and I only get to see each other once a year, so we tried to catch up as much as we could on this trip. On this particular day, I only remember smiles, laughter, and being grateful that I had someone to travel with me.

    Our last stop of the trip was Monterey Bay. We kayaked through a slough, where seals and otters sunbathed all around us. This was definitely one of the highlights of the trip, as we got to see some of the cutest wildlife right next to our kayaks. We also stopped at the aquarium and had dinner on the pier, planning the next time we could have a trip as fantastic as this one.

  • The Art of Connection

    The Art of Connection

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  • Beyond the Obstacle

    Beyond the Obstacle

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  • Growth Unlocked

    Growth Unlocked

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  • Collaboration Magic

    Collaboration Magic

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  • Teamwork Triumphs

    Teamwork Triumphs

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  • Adaptive Advantage

    Adaptive Advantage

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