I don't *think* I'm breaking any (or many) rules by writing to you all but after three months since looking each of you in the eye and saying goodbye, I think a thoughtful "hello" is OK and, hopefully, welcomed.
I've reflected quite a bit on our field journey over this past summer and, in thinking about a theme that may have been present during several instances throughout our trip, one quote comes stampeding into my mind.
"Each moment has an unrealized dimension of beauty that only your perspective can liberate."
Let's break this down.
Our journey was a tapestry stitched together, strand by strand, of moments from our awkward hellos in the lobby on Day 1 to the difficult goodbyes on Day 9. Some of these moments were rich in beauty and intensity ... Rancho jam session, common dolphin superpod, handing each of you your sea shell.
Other moments, however, were ripe with struggle. Many of you I know were catapulted outside your comfort zones while at Rancho San Gregorio. Defense mechanisms activated, full shields deployed. Occasionally a head may have peeked out from behind the safety perimeter ... "is it safe to come out? Can I put these walls away yet?" As of yet, the beauty of the moment may have still been,
and this was OK. In fact, for our journey, for this Masters journey, this is required. These trips are tough, sometimes extremely tough. They are meant to be. This is not a program designed to glide peacefully towards a degree but rather, challenge you towards the next evolution of you. You will experience climates and ecosystem that make you sweat, freeze, itch, and swell. You may also meet people that make you feel the same way. Your ability to overcome or, even better, embrace and celebrate each journey and each other - beauty and flaws in all - may be your greatest accomplishment in this program. Sure you'll learn so much about conservation science and concepts in biology, ecology, evolution, etc., but discovering your ability to nurture and celebrate your community - defined as everything from the global conservation community down to your community of Earth Expedition classmates each year - will be a skill that serves your personal and professional growth for the rest of your life.
And once we recognize that while nearly everything on this Earth is out of our control, our ability to appreciate each place and each person along with both their enchanting qualities and areas of growth, IS within your control and has the power to
We can liberate each other through our words and actions. Liberate each other from our fears of speaking up, our fears of saying (or feeling) too much. We can liberate and even elevate our communities. We can liberate the voice of the natural world from a whisper to a downright bull horn. And that's really what this is all for anyways, isn't it? We are all on this journey because we want to step up for the Earth. We want to use all of our available skills, talent, and grit to leave this place better than we found it. And I'd challenge anyone to find me a leader for the natural world who strolled his or her way towards meaningful accomplishments. These leaders struggled, with themselves, each other, and their environment.
But I think the difference is that a leader for the natural world perseveres by understanding that while yes this is tough, and yes I'm struggling, there is beauty in this struggle and I choose it. I choose to embrace the feelings of defeat knowing that I have the skills to rise again. I choose to liberate the challenges of this and any situation by refocusing my perspective on the beauty that lies within it.
And within each of you. Liberate the beauty in yourselves and each other every damn moment that you can.
With love,
Liana
