By Audrey Hurt, Austin Community College
When looking back at my time in Peru, I can with utmost certainty say that I have grown as a student, a professional, and as a human being. My aunt upon my arrival told me about this theory she developed over her years travelling: after a long, immersive trip such as this three-week study abroad, a new person comes back home. I must say, after returning home I wholeheartedly agree with this theory. It has taken time to get to know this new version of myself. Academically, there are now so many experiences that can actively combat the burnout-prone part of my mind– there is concrete work to look back on! But, beyond the final products, these projects required so much collaboration, organization of labor, supplies, time, willpower, and was then experienced in an entirely new setting, new country, and new environment. That was hard! There is so much change happening on a daily basis, and to find (or create) your own foundation and balance requires a certain level of creativity, ingenuity, adaptability, and teamwork from you that is hard to replicate in the safety and comfort of home.
Since our study abroad program was for environmental science, the dichotomy of working in an environment you recognize versus one that is entirely foreign to you, as a scientist, is an expanding experience that I will forever think fondly of. Manu, Peru is an environment I did not intimately know whatsoever; I could not identify many of the plants around me, there were birds whose calls I had never heard before, and there were landforms that were grander and more complex than I had ever seen in Texas. To then be tasked with working in this environment? Besides intimidating, the word “invigorating” comes up for me. Because, under the astonishment and awe, what stuck with me from this global research experience was how universal the work itself was across environments. That the work itself is the same. It is using the same mindset, the same scientific lens, procedures, and considerations as you use at home. This concept instilled a new level of trust in myself, as a scientist, as a student, and as a professional. You know how to conduct research, it was simply done with different ingredients; so how will you organize yourself to utilize these new ingredients?
One message I would pass on from my experience is to trust yourself. Trust your knowledge, your practice, your abilities. Just because this is a new setting does not erase your credibility, practice, or experience; let yourself flow with your workspace. This is actually a regret I have from my study abroad experience: I overthought everything. How to document what we found, what behaviors to note– little details that took me away from the immersion of this unique, special workspace. I wish I had more trust in myself, and allowed for more fun in the process– because the result was the same! My headaches in the classroom, on my computer, were arbitrary; I would have rather used my time exploring and having fun, and honestly? That would have likely produced even more data. So, learn from me: trust in your abilities, ground yourself regularly, and be mindful to have FUN and enjoy yourself in the process. You’ll get home just the same. ♡
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