“Adventure is Worthwhile”

This week has been full of school work. Recently this seems to be the theme, which makes sense since I am a student. My current project is to read an article from the most recent issue of Conservation Biology and do 3 presentations on that article. The article I was assigned was entirely about a statistical approach of determining if conservation action is required AKA the most boring article ever. It’s a new kind of challenge to stay excited and focused on these studies. But it definitely helps to know the end is in sight, graduation is only 4 months away!!

It’s been hard to settle back into the student life since Proságo. I’ve been left with a lasting impact about the importance of adventure in learning. The traditional go to class, write an essay, and take exams style of education is great for some but it is definitely not the best way to learn. Putting yourself outside of your comfort zone is where the learning happens.

I’ve been feeling rather discouraged lately when I think about how I spent this year. I have spent most of it indoors (whether at home, school or work) and have spent most of it day dreaming of what’s to come. It’s so easy to get lost in a dream world but as Dumbledore would say “it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live”. And for these past 6 months I feel as though I have forgotten how to live. The chapter in my life involving Peterborough is coming to an end and I have been treating it as such. I did not try and make new connections or truly invest in those around because I know it is all going to be over soon. It is a horrible mindset to have. It is so important to make the most out of every single opportunity; coasting through life is just not an option or rather it shouldn’t be.

Anyways… It’s got me thinking about what my time on the AT will be like. It will also be a temporary phase of my life. I fully intend on putting my all into that experience but I wouldn’t put my all into Peterborough simply because I didn’t consider it an adventure? It seems silly really because as Peter Pan put it “to live will be an awfully big adventure”