ENTRIES / Lindsay Brownell
May 30, 2010
As a recent college grad, I am often asked the question, "What did you major in?" Whenever I answer it, I get puzzled looks and am sometimes asked again:
"You majored in what?"
"English and Biology."
Yes, they are completely different disciplines. Yes, I spent long hours both in the anatomy lab and reading "Ulysses" cover to cover. Yes, it was difficult to plan my schedule to complete both majors.
No, I couldn't imagine doing anything else.
I get shivers of excitement when I read epic poetry. My speech becomes animated and enthusiastic when I explain how energy is made in the mitochondria of the cell. I can spend hours trying to come up with just the right word to describe the color of the sky at sunset. My ears perk up when I hear the name of a taxonomic animal family I have studied.
In short, I am a study in contradictions.
So is our planet.
In Dubai, the extremely wealthy foreign majority zoom down an indoor ski mountain kept at an alpine 31 degrees Fahrenheit, while the local, abject poor toil outside under the 105-degree Arabian sun, working the low-level jobs that maintain the air-conditioned playground for the rich.
In Costa Rica, pineapple plantations carve red-tinted scars into old-growth rainforest, pushing endangered plants and animals to the brink of extinction even as the booming eco-tourism industry relies on them to draw in curious travelers.
My experience in and love for different subjects makes me uniquely able to document and appreciate our diverse planet. Photography is becoming a hobby, and I will regularly update my blog with pictures as well as words from around the world using my trusty laptop.
Having just graduated in May, I don't have the commitments of a family, a mortgage or a permanent career, so I will be able to fully commit myself to reporting my adventures to my readers. I love discovering new places, and have already visited Australia, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, Turkey, Greece and other European countries, though I feel I have barely begun to scratch the surface of world travel.
If given this extraordinary opportunity, I will approach each new experience with an artist's eye, a naturalist's curiosity, a writer's pen and a child's openness. It truly is a wonderful world: let me show you why!
