Taking a plane all the way from Seattle, it was my second time flying. This time by myself. Although I was now of age to actually understand what was happening and was fascinated by the physics behind this strange airborne machine, my stomach did not feel the same way. After arriving in Minneapolis, I met the team a day late. Even after this circumstance I still found the way to meet everyone on the team and make strong relationships. We went to the Cloquet forestry center to mentor children at the Native american summer camp in addition to eating good meals, and playing fun games, and going on field trips to learn about rocks, lakes and birds. I enjoyed the bird watching most of all. We drove hours to make these visits meanwhile, deepening our relationships with our team in the car along the way singing, dancing, and smiling. After settling in to Duluth, we organized lab logistics and went into the field on the first day. The best part was playing with the frogs, another first experience along side bird watching. Throughout this trip, I have had many new moments of growth and excitement that I am thrilled to look forward to as our summer begins.