Reading- I used to get to do a lot more of this! Reading is my favorite past time an it’s a great escape for me. My reading habit was always encouraged, and I have some lovely memories of sitting around and reading with my mom, dad, and sister. Some of the closest friends I’ve ever made were during middle school and found through similar tastes in books. Separating our collections after high school was no easy feat. Reading h as become even more important to me now as it serves as a connection to my sister back home, and an incredible stress reliever from school work. Although I think it would be neat to keep every last book I read as a sort of measure of myself as a person through the years, I think it’s much more important to pass books on to others who will read them. Above all, I truly hope to always have books around.
The HES Chicago Trip- I had so much fun going to Chicago with some of my fellow Humanitarian Engineering Scholars. Through the trip I got to participate in an effort to remove invasive species from the Eggers Grove Forest Preserve outside Chicago. Hearing from the park officials on the effects of invasive species and about their dedication to the restoration efforts was fascinating. Hunting down orange trees was also unexpectedly fun and getting a wonky saw to work right in close quarters was definitely a bonding experience. The bonding was really my favorite part of the trip. Together we saw museums, bought kitschy souvenirs, and ate way too much food and all the while got to learn more about each other. Hearing everyone else’s ideas and goals for the future was really inspiring, and it was really reassuring to see that we were all experiencing the same things together. Overall, going on this trip is the best decision I’ve made since coming to Ohio State.