Reflection

As I write this on the last day of HSI because I know that I will have to leave behind all of the great people that surrounded me during this journey and this camp. I am extremely sad about having to leave because I have met many new and great friends and the journey has been great.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” – Greg Anderson.

That quote definitely applies to this camp because the destination is the end of camp, and the journey was camp. I found joy in the journey, and sad that I have gotten to the destination because that means that I have to leave all of my great new friends behind. I will always remember this camp and the friends I met here. I am sure I will be able to keep in contact with them, but there is nothing better than to be sitting in the fishbowl playing cards with them, or making memories with them throughout the camp. No one else on this planet will have the same experience as me and my new friends, nor will anyone else but me and my new friends share any of the same memories.

First and foremost is my photography class. My teacher, Kristen Landreville has been awesome. She gave us many breaks because she wanted us to keep moving so we did not tire. She taught us many things that I had never known about photography, or the media in general. The class was great and she took us to many amazing places to take amazing pictures, learn about media, or both. One thing I will remember are most of the photography rules, whether it is the rule of thirds, focus, or creating depth. I will also remember how people go great lengths to become famous off of and make money off of the internet. The final lesson I will remember is to always check where I get my news from and always try to look at unbiased news in order to avoid fake news. All in all, I had a great time and saw some breathtaking views, and will never forget this class, or Professor Landreville.

Next I will talk about my physical world class, which was Wyoming Energy 4 You. Professor Tawfik was such a great and outstanding guy. He was always nice and understanding, and always had candy for us because he said he wanted us to have sugar so we were always energized. He always made sure that we had hands on experiments, let us go to a 3d visualization center, took us to a one of a kind laboratory facility right here on campus, and let us use the drilling simulator multiple times. The first lesson I will remember is that oil companies are not always just rich people trying to get richer. Also I will remember that great things can be found in unexpected places because Wyoming is a small place but has a one of a kind research facility. Lastly I will remember to keep things fact based just like how the class was. I loved the class a lot and enjoyed all of the opportunities, and I will miss Professor Tawfik, but I will not forget him.

My favorite memory from the camp was making friends. We all started off nervous and feeling alone, but we all found our way around this and awkward social interactions to eventually make what we call friends. In total I really enjoyed meeting people and making them into my friends. It left an impression because it shows that no matter what friends are easy to make and make the journey easier and more fun.

By coming to HSI I feel like I have gotten farther over my fear of being outgoing. I have most certainly become more outgoing and friendly. I also feel like I have become more independent.

I feel like HSI has prepared me for my future career because it has opened my eyes to more career paths. It has prepared me more for college because it helps me with getting used to living at the universitiy.

If I could relive HSI I would try to make friends with more people and take more opportunities to go around the place.

I will tell my friends who decided not to go that they missed out on a great time and that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. To those in the grade below I will tell them that deciding not to go would be a very bad decision, and that it was one of the greatest moments of my high school career. I would also try my best to encourage them to go. I would tell my family that it was everything I was expecting it to be and better.

I am very sad that it is coming to an end and that I wish it would not end. At the end comes a feeling of mixed emotions because I love this camp but I miss home. All in all I will never every forget this camp. Even finishing this blog makes me sad and miss the camp. Bon Voyage and farewell to a great time that I will surely miss.