As part of my summer internship I spend 20 hours each week travelling to various communities to lead fishing and aquatic ecology classes for kids. One of the dirtier parts of this job is putting worms on the kids' hooks. I always give a demonstration on how to do it and encourage kids to do it themselves. However, I do not want to turn kids away from fishing because they're forced to touch worms, so I'll do it for them if they want me to. Today there was a line of girls waiting to get their hooks baited, and one of the girls informed me that she kissed a worm once. "Really?!" I said, "Then you should be able to bait your own hook without a problem."
To that she responded, "No, I don't hurt things; I just kiss them. That doesn't hurt them." Then she paused for a moment, thinking, and asked, "Or does it?"
Just a little something to chuckle about and ponder for a while.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Geocaching: Just the adventure I was looking for!
Today as a part of my job as a naturalist intern at a state park, I learned to geocache. The park is a geocache demo-site for Minnesota State Parks' "Wildlife Safari" program, so it is necessary that I know how to operate the GPS units that we loan to park visitors.
I wasn't too excited about geocaching at first. I guess when people told me about it I just couldn't see what the big thrill to finding a plastic container in the woods would be. But I welcomed the chance to get outside on the trails and get paid for it. Then, to my surprise, I actually enjoyed myself. I found the cache quite easily, as there is a lot of traffic to it by park visitors. But I did feel a sense of reward that I did not think that I would feel.
I decided to look up more geocaching sites around my house, and I was surprised to see that there are 10 within a five mile radius. My brother Matt and I went out looking for the closest one after dinner. It was on state forest land, and it was hidden very well. Even though it was less than a mile away, it took us over an hour to find. It was a challenge, and we had a great time searching for it. Plus my brother traded a marble for a Batman pen, which made his day.
I think geocaching is just the adventure I've been looking for. It is something that I can do close to home after I get done with work, and it takes me to places I usually wouldn't go. Plus it gets me outdoors, which is always a top priority for me.
I wasn't too excited about geocaching at first. I guess when people told me about it I just couldn't see what the big thrill to finding a plastic container in the woods would be. But I welcomed the chance to get outside on the trails and get paid for it. Then, to my surprise, I actually enjoyed myself. I found the cache quite easily, as there is a lot of traffic to it by park visitors. But I did feel a sense of reward that I did not think that I would feel.
I decided to look up more geocaching sites around my house, and I was surprised to see that there are 10 within a five mile radius. My brother Matt and I went out looking for the closest one after dinner. It was on state forest land, and it was hidden very well. Even though it was less than a mile away, it took us over an hour to find. It was a challenge, and we had a great time searching for it. Plus my brother traded a marble for a Batman pen, which made his day.
I think geocaching is just the adventure I've been looking for. It is something that I can do close to home after I get done with work, and it takes me to places I usually wouldn't go. Plus it gets me outdoors, which is always a top priority for me.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Writing Again
I haven't written much of anything since I returned from a semester of studying in Italy about two months ago. There have been a few times when the thought of continuing my blogging habit enticed me, but then I'd make excuses and put it off. "My life isn't as exciting anymore, who would want to read about it?" I would ask myself. Which, to some extent, is a valid question; after all, my life in Italy was packed full of adventure. But I have a feeling that most of my doubts about blogging were coming from the voice of reentry shock, as the one page mailing from the study abroad office informed me. The short version is this: for the next few weeks, months, or years you will want desperately to talk about your amazing study abroad experience, but, unfortunately, nobody will understand or even want to understand. You will be depressed and will want to return to Europe, but you must believe the yellow paper--these feelings shall subside with time. Well, the feelings haven't subsided quite yet for me. I still manage to bring up Italy in almost every conversation, and often times I feel like people just don't get it. But the other side of this is I know that if I was still in Italy I would be homesick for Minnesota. I guess it's just another case of the grass being greener on the other side, and as long as I'm on this side, I should try to make the best of it.
So here I go; I'm writing again. We shall see what comes of this. I'm hoping to write often enough to be able to focus on the little things that make each day an adventure. It is easy to blog about life's big events, but I want a challenge. This challenge will be giving the little things enough credence in my writing so that they too can seem big.
So here I go; I'm writing again. We shall see what comes of this. I'm hoping to write often enough to be able to focus on the little things that make each day an adventure. It is easy to blog about life's big events, but I want a challenge. This challenge will be giving the little things enough credence in my writing so that they too can seem big.
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