It has just about reached the three-week mark for the FBQ, and my stay in the field is now coming to an end. My experience here has been an amazing one, and I have learned many things, especially about animals.

One of the most important lessons I learned is that it is very  important to balance hard work and fun (not to say that hard work can’t be fun. The two definitely are not mutually exclusive). It is fairly safe to say that I have never worked this hard in my life. Nearly my entire day consisted of doing the same, compartmentalized routine in order to complete my projects. I am so used to my daily activities that it actually feels a bit strange that I am going home in a few days. All of this hard work does have its benefits, such as learning important life skills and learning how to conduct field research. I am so used to what I do everyday that I sometimes feel slightly guilty for not working on something at all times of the day. I have come to realize, however, that it is perfectly fine to relax a little to offset the stress that often results from attempting to create an acceptable, and hopefully more than adequate, product.

Since today was the final day we are at Refugio Bartola, two friends and I decided that it would be exceedingly beneficial to go on one final hike, and we wanted to make it memorable. What we came across definitely can be classified as memorable, because we stumbled across one of the most beautiful series of waterfalls I have ever seen. All of the stress that built up over the past three weeks melted away immediately as we gazed in awe of the majestic scenery. After an hour of silent meditation, I wondered why I hadn’t done anything similar to that before, and I realized that most of my time was spent working. I do not mean to say that all the time in the field was keeping me from sanity, but if I devoted an hour a day to destressing, I feel that my whole being would be reinvigorated and ready for the next day. After experiencing nature the way I did today, I wish that I had more time to indulge my craving for more, but it is time to leave and go back to my normal life, which I must say was going extremely well just prior to leaving.