Draft two is submitted. Honors defense is scheduled. Poster is in the works. Things are moving along with thesis!
As things are starting to wind down academically, I’ve been trying to put more thought into what exactly is going to happen after the big day in May when we all graduate from Lewis & Clark and officially step out into the “real world.” Last week in class we submitted 5-year plans—a task which proved equal parts grounding and overwhelming. For me, this assignment came right after spending 10 days studying and adventuring in Cuba, so it was a particularly odd time to think about what might come next. That trip definitely helped me come to some important realizations about my academic career and potential future paths.
First, spending that week and a half thinking intensely about Cuban history and national identity was a good reminder that there are many other things to think about outside of my thesis. Indeed, it made me wonder how and why I have ended up devoting so much of my time to trying to understand a 6km2 sustainable development project in Abu Dhabi. Not that I regret choosing this as area of study—it’s just wild to think back on what a different trajectory I could have taken. Moving forward, I’m looking forward to having the time and space to think about new things and ideas.
Second, being in Cuba reminded me that I want to spend a significant amount time after graduation traveling and working on my spanish. Finding a way to do this (and ideally getting paid for it) has become a major goal for me. Just this week I stumbled upon one possible way to do this, through an internship with the School for Field Studies Center for Sustainable Development in Atenas, Costa Rica. The position would run from August 2015- August 2016, and would involve logistics coordination and field research, as well as providing general guidance to current environmental studies students in the program. There would be organic gardening, opportunities to travel in Nicaragua, plus the chance to impart some tiny bit of wisdom I’ve gained as an ENVS major upon some eager underclassmen. So much fun! Who knows if I’ll actually get the job— but it is very heartening to realize that there are opportunities out there that I feel this excited about! Fingers crossed…