Up, Up, & Away!

Towards the end of week 14 we attended an international conservation round table with four conservation professionals. I have never wanted to study abroad outside of the United States so I have also had no interest in International conservation work either. We received some great insight into the lives of the panel guests, learning about how to balance family life and strange cultural customs. Personally, I can’t imagine being away from a significant other for more than a week so they must have some really strong relationships! One of our panel guests said that in meetings he attended, people would never disagree with each other. This meant that if there were a disagreement that no one would know about it until the actual meeting had ended. To me, it seems a little silly to waste all that time and not know what the general consensus is at the end of a meeting. Although, these insights were both intriguing, I had other questions in mind.

It wasn’t until the very last ten minutes when a member of the panel mentioned how language barrier could potentially be a problem when traveling. I was thinking quietly to myself, “No, duh (no disrespect intended)!” I would have liked to know what languages the panel guests could speak fluently and if so, how? Did they learn when they were younger? Do they use a translator when they travel? I think that would be my worst fear while working in an area that doesn’t speak my native tongue.

It was interesting to hear about other people’s points of view on international conservation work, but I think I will still stick with my initial response to it. I can barely speak another language and don’t think I could be away for so long. I would much rather focus on conservation issues within the United States. International Conservation work definitely isn’t in my future!