Just a Dirty Hippie

This weekend, I went on a field trip for my Advanced Biology class. It was wonderful, and I think I am the only person, other than our teacher who thought that. We went on Sunday, up to the University of Michigan Biological Station in Pellston, MI. It was in the middle of the woods, with no civilization to be found. We stayed in the camp dormitory, which was surprisingly clean...at least I thought it was clean. I would have been happy staying in tents :)

I laughed at myself while everyone moved into our rooms. I had a backpack and a sleeping bag with me while everyone else was carrying a backpack, a dufflebag, blankets, a sleeping bag, and pillows. I felt a little under prepared. Then I opened my backpack. This thing is amazing, as it essentially carries my whole life and then some. I carried it all summer through the numerous camping experiences I was on, and it has gained a high level of respect. I like to think of it as my version of Mary Poppin's carpet bag. There are fingernail clippers, a hand towel, a rain jacket, an umbrella, a 64 pack of Crayola crayons, a garbage bag, several Sharpie markers, a pair of flippy-floppies, a plastic snake, a random pair of socks, bandaids, a meal bar, hand sanitizer, a flash light and a water bottle that always stay in my bag. WOW! I didn't think there was that much in there, but that is a huge list.....and I've never been a girl scout!

On Monday, we went to 4 different wetland ecosystems to collect water samples and perform various water chemistry tests. It was nice a chilly, which was good for keeping us awake considering the lack of sleep Sunday night. The most interesting site we went to was the bog. Bog. What a boring word. Only three letters and it sounds like a strange bodily sound. But to me...yes, a total nerd...it was so cool! The classification of a bog means that it is a layer of sphagnum moss over about 40 feet of water in the middle of the woods. You can walk out onto the moss mat, because it is super thick and squishy. The cool part is that the mat floats, so you feel like you are walking on a giant water bed. And again, I am probably the only one who was excited about this.

So yes, I enjoyed being dirty hippie nerd for a couple days. It has to happen every once in awhile, just to remind me that sometimes simple is better and that a little dirt never killed anyone.

.....and I didn't shower right away when I got home, because I thought the smell from the marsh that had invaded my pores actually smelled good.