Often, when I try to explain my environmental major, people get very confused. And I don't blame them- before college, I wasn't even sure what it was either. So, before going into the story, I'll try to clear that up a little. The major itself involves the study of Earth's geological processes-- involving a whole lot of science classes. The idea is that by understanding how the world works, we can come up with better solutions for our environmental problems. Anyways, one thing is always crystal clear for environmental majors: we LOVE nature. And we each have our unique story of how that evolved into a passion. Let me tell you mine.

I grew up with a dad who works in and is very passionate about agriculture, and since a very young age, he would take me and my family to this big open place out of the city where he kept some crops. I was about five years old at the time, so I don't remember much of those first foggy mornings in Lepaterique. However, when my sister and I grew a little older, she refused to go- and my mom was with her. There was something about going out of the city they didn't like. That only left my dad and me to enjoy our weekend adventures.

In retrospect, I can understand why someone wouldn't want to go to Lepaterique. It isn't a very developed place, and whenever we were on my dad's property around the mountains, there weren't even bathrooms around. There were also a heck lot of flies. But none of that mattered to me. To me, it was a place where I could get away from the chaos of the city, and explore this quiet, peaceful land that brought me more solace than I understood at the time. Everywhere I turned to look was green, bright with life. I remember going after baby ducks and tiny frogs, just to realize they didn't want to be with me. Just like my mom and sister were city girls, the ducks and frogs had a home here.

There was something about those convoluted and unpredictable mountains that was just fascinating. There was always a new corner I hadn't seen, always somewhere new to explore. I could just forget about everything that troubled my nine year old self, and focus on the delicate patterns in every leaf, the tiny ponds full of tadpoles, and how everything seemed so busy and unbothered by anything. My favorite though, was the hustling through a terrain full of thin trees and fallen branches, only to come out to the open again, where I found a perfect spot to admire the mountains, the sun like a tiny yellow spot shining over them. Whenever I was scared of slipping through a particularly muddy path, my dad would take my hand and help me through it. He loved being there even more than I did.

I never realized how much Lepaterique meant to me until, due to growing insecurity in my country, I was advised to not go there with my dad anymore. That was when I was in my senior year of high school, faced with the decision of what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I always knew I wanted to go to America for college, but I felt so intimidated to leave without a major. Truth be told, I didn't even know Environmental science was a major back then, but after finding out, I knew it was perfect for me. And now in college, every day I learn more and grow more passionate about it. And for that, I'm forever grateful.