A brief reflection

I came into this trip not really knowing what to expect. I’ve heard nothing but amazing this about this trip, and I was so excited to go on it. I learned so many things and life lessons from this trip. Any expectation I had was beyond surpassed. The days spent at Woodlands were long, and tiring, but very rewarding. When feeling worn out or tired, all I had to do was look around (past all the blackberry) and see all the green, and that was enough to keep me going.Our days at Woodlands were spent surveying the area. We set up transects, and took count of native and invasive species. We got to see armadillos, snakes, turtles and even an alligator! Although the mosquitos were pretty bad, bug spray was there to save the day.The days we weren’t at Woodlands, we helped out planting food gardens. Our first garden was for our friend Carol, and the second was for Capstone Community Gardens. We were able to spend time in the French Quarter being able to experience the full culture of New Orleans. We got to see the Mardi Gras Indians, parades, and local musicians. All of these experiences were so amazing. We were able to fully dive into Louisiana culture in 10 days. While sitting on the plane ride home, I tried to pick my favorite part of the trip, and I honestly couldn’t. Each day was an adventure within itself. The days were long and often dirty. We sweat, got attacked by bugs, and got pretty dirty, but it was all worth it in the end. I learned many things on this trip, and will forever be grateful for the friendships that were made. Its hard to express how much fun the past 10 days have been. I now know what it is like to miss New Orleans.