A general update + exciting news

This week has been FULL. I didn‘t get a chance to sit down and think through a theme for a blog post but I still wanted to get one done. This post will be a general update on what I have been doing and answer a couple of the questions I got via my Instagram story (thanks for the prompts!).

-UPDATE-

1. I have been on a couple of day/weekend trips with other USAC students

2. Finished up my 5-week cooking course…

3. Celebrated a few more birthdays…

4. Went out…

5. Got my first sunburns of the semester (gross. no thank you. don’t want anymore of those.) and before you ask, yes I did wear sunscreen…the second time.

6. And at the moment, I am tagging along on a tour of Uruguayan Angus production with Dr. Moser (Associate Dean, K-State College of Ag).

K-State has always provided me with the most incredible experiences and connections, but really, what are the odds that this would happen. One student at the the College of Ag happens to go to one of the least known countries in South America, and STILL hears a “oh! I know people there!” Wacky coincidence if you ask me. Go ‘Cats.

This tour has been a valuable experience for me. Not only have I been able to get out and see the country and the beautiful landscapes it has to offer, I have also been able to interact with and learn about agriculture in Uruguay. My classes this semester have been really great but have not had the same hands-on interaction with this part of our food system. I was missing it a lot and I didn’t even realize until we got out to the fields. I have also learned more about cows this weekend than I ever have before. As someone who never took an animal science course I am significantly lacking in the technical knowledge to understand a lot of the conversations. However, by just listening and being curious I have been able to pick up a lot. Also, thanks to Dr. Moser for leaning over to give me a brief overview of the topics being discussed. We can learn a lot from our classes, but nothing beats getting to see operations at work and hear the stories of the people who lead them.

-A OF COUPLE INSTA QUESTIONS-

1. Some of you asked about food. I could talk about this topic for so long it would need it’s own post...(*hint* pls see ’The story of our food.’ post lol). BUT I have tried a few new things since then. I had my first Asado this weekend!

I also got a question about Spanish. I am glad this was asked because the language here is a little different than what I learned in the U.S.

The first main difference is that the double L makes a ‘sh’ sound instead of a ‘y’ sound. The other major difference is that vos and vosotros are used more often. For those of you who have not taken spanish classes, we are usually taught how to put words in the following forms: Yo - I (myself), Tú- You, Él/Ella/Usted - Them (singular), Nosotros - We, Ellos/Ella/Ustedes - Them (plural). There are two other forms (vos/vosotros) but they aren’t taught in the U.S. that often. Regardless, it has been pretty easy to pick them up. Other than that there are a few words that are different (i.e. frutilla = strawberry, not fresa). My biggest take away is that classroom learning is a good base but the real learning happens when you are immersed and use it all the time. PRACTICE. PRACTICE. PRACTICE.

The rest of the questions I got revolve around what I am thinking about for my next post, so I won’t cover them here.

- EXCITING NEWS -

I think I need a drumroll for this one…

I decided where to go to grad school.

It has been quite the journey to get here, but I am excited to share that in September I will be heading to the University of Reading! For further clarification, this Reading is not in California.

Starting in September, I will be working on a MSc Food Economics and Marketing with the Graduate Institute of International Development, Agriculture and Economics (GIIDAE). If you want see a bit more about it, here is a link: https://www.reading.ac.uk/apd/GIIDAE/apd-giidae.aspx

I owe a lot of thanks to the people who helped me get here and make this decision. Especially those who listened to me talk in circles for months about what I was going to do next. If you’re reading this, you’ve played an important role in my life. Thanks for all the ways you’ve made an impact on my education and perspective.

Talk soon!