Written by Anna Rose Powell
3rd year
Majors: International Affairs, Spanish
This past summer, I participated in the second year of SPIA’s National Parks Program (NPP) through GLOBIS. Over the course of three and a half weeks, I had the incredible opportunity to travel through Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California, all while seeing some of the most breath-taking sites and national parks the United States has to offer. Before the trip, I had never really
traveled, and my first time on a plane was to get to Montana in May. While I was nervous for my first time traveling, my excitement overtook any other emotion once the trip began and I met the rest of the group.
The trip began in Yellowstone national park, truly one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. We saw geysers, hot springs, bison, coyotes, waterfalls, and lots of snow (I know, I was surprised too given it was May!). At this point in the trip, we were all getting to know one another, and had no idea the amazing things that were in store for the next few weeks. Next, we made our way to the Tetons in Wyoming, where we saw more wildlife and had our first real hike- through the snow. While the hike was challenging, I could not have felt more accomplished once we reached the end, and looking out across the snowy mountain tops was simply breath-taking.
Immediately after leaving the snow of Wyoming, we made our way to Utah, where some of our stops included Arches national park (my favorite), Canyonlands, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and Capital Reef. This was by far my favorite part of the trip, just because I had never seen anything like the parks of Utah- dry, hot, and overwhelmingly orange. Every activity planned was something I never thought I would do, whether it be whitewater rafting on the Colorado river, a jeep tour through Canyonlands, bouldering my way up to panoramic views, or hiking angel’s landing in Zion.
After brief stops in Las Vegas and Death Valley, we finally made our way to California. Yosemite was filled with serene, magic-like views, with my favorite hike being the mist trail, where rainbows and waterfalls made it feel other-worldly. We then ended the trip in San Francisco, where activities included visiting Muir Woods and exploring the vibrant town.
While the trip of course consisted of sight-seeing and adventures, I also learned a lot about public land policy and potential careers in
environmental fields. Dr. Wilhelm as well as all of the GAs on the trip made every minute worthwhile, and each one had their own experience to share with us. Thanks to NPP, I’m now more confident that this is the area I would like to go into post-graduation. I cannot even put into words the emotions I felt while on this trip, and it’s something I will always remember as the highlight of my college career. The views I saw, the friends I made, and the fears I overcame all added up to the most incredible three and a half weeks of my life.
