Advice for future Best Friends Interns

Well, I've been home from Utah exactly one week now. It has a been a long and difficult week of transition. I immersed myself so fully in my experience in Utah that in just five and a half weeks, Kanab felt like home, my friends felt like we'd known each other for way longer than 5 weeks, the family I stayed with felt like true family, and my internship felt like my job. The remoteness of Kanab had become a way of life, as had going to national parks on a regular basis. Suddenly, the city of Minneapolis seems like a giant metropolis! This is, of course, the exact opposite of how I felt when I first moved to Minneapolis from New York City!

After a week of reflecting on my experience at Best Friends, I have some advice that I would give to any prospective intern.

1. Live with a person/family who works at Best Friends. I was hesitant to do this at first because I thought I wanted my own space, and it was hard to conceive of living with a complete stranger for 5 weeks. But it is very helpful to have someone who knows the area, knows the sanctuary, and can answer your questions. I happened to completely luck out on who I stayed with. They treated me like family from the moment I arrived, and I left knowing I have a life-long relationship with an entire family that I didn't have before. Simply getting to know these wonderful people made the trip entirely worth it.

2. Pack lots of clothing layers. My internship was in the fall, so I assume it's a little different for everybody depending on what time of year you are in Kanab. However, I will say that there was often a 40 degree difference in temperature from the time I started work to the time I finished work. I would start out wearing a tank top, long sleeved shirt, fleece, and a jacket in the mornings and I'd still be cold! But as the beautiful high desert sun breaks through and starts to warm the day, I'd shed my layers until I was sweating in just jeans and a tank top. The work you do can be very physical, or you might be just sitting with an animal working on socialization, so you never know how cold or hot you might get through your work. Just bring lots of layers and check the weather each day!

3. Disconnect. Best Friends is a complete bubble. It's heaven for animal lovers, and it's so far removed from the rest of the world (despite the fact that the rest of the world flocks to it to volunteer and visit). Most of us live in a world where we're constantly on our computers, smart phones, tablets, etc. I would suggest embracing the bubble, throwing yourself entirely into the experience, and disconnecting somewhat from the digital age. Your cell phone probably won't get reception most places anyway, and you may or may not have internet access where you live. I found that because blogging became part of my experience, simply logging onto the computer once a day to write my blog and check for urgent e-mails was all I needed to do. I didn't watch one single second of television and I didn't miss it a bit. I did keep in touch with my loved ones on the phone, but not as much as I expected to, given that I usually talk to them everyday. I was so busy with the internship and living in the bubble, that I managed to talk to people maybe a couple times a week if I was lucky. I was okay with that because I had such amazing support where I was living and my loved ones were very understanding.

4. Connect. As you disconnect from the digital world, I cannot recommend enough that you connect with the people and environment around you. I was lucky enough to have the best possible group of interns working with me during my session. Make friends with your fellow interns! You all have at least one thing in common: a love of animals, and you will find that you have more and more in common as you get to know them and more and more that you can learn from them. I have so much respect for all my fellow interns. A great way to connect is to get together for lunches at the cafeteria during the week and head out for adventures during the weekends. Each week, I went to some amazing new place to hike with my intern friends and those are memories I will cherish forever. I feel equally connected to the family I stayed with during my internship, so I know that I now have relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime because of their unique circumstances.

5. Along the same lines as my last point, be sure to connect with nature. Hiking has not been a huge part of my life, but it is a huge part of life in Kanab. You will be within an hour or two of several incredible national parks and hidden gems. Get out there! Even if you do short hikes, or just stop by and sit in nature for a while, your mind, body, and soul with thank you for that connection to the earth that many of us just don't get often enough.

6. Keep an open mind. The first two weeks of the internship, you'll be rotating through all the different animal areas. I can't stress enough how important it is to keep an open mind as you experience what it is like to care for different species. I went in to the internship assuming I'd focus my time in DogTown, but luckily I kept an open mind. I ended up being so enthralled with so many of the species, that I spread my focus for the final three weeks across several areas. One of the areas in which I spent the most time was at Rescue Village working with rabbits. I never in a million years would have thought that's where I would end up. But I learned so much about that species, I loved the staff, and I found a way that I could really make an impact in my short time at the sanctuary by working in rabbits.

7. The internship is what you make of it. The first two weeks are very structured and you don't have a lot of input into your schedule. However, you will soon have complete freedom to design your own schedule. Think about what you really want to get out of this internship and make it happen. The entire sanctuary seems aligned in wanting to make volunteers and interns have the best experiences they possibly can. Leesa, the intern coordinator is especially helpful and will do everything in her power to help you get the most out of your internship. All you have to do is ask. One of the areas I'm very interested in is studying animal behavior. I found out there was a vet working at Best Friends who does exactly that. I took the initiative to schedule myself to work in his building when he'd be around and talked to several people about wanting to work with him. We set up a meeting and I spent my last three weeks basically doing my dream job of helping with animal behavior research. If I hadn't asked, it wouldn't have happened. Pursue your interests and everyone at Best Friends will do their best to make it happen for you!

8. Prepare for tough transitions. Arriving in Kanab, I was excited and nervous. I also got a massive case of altitude sickness. If you live at sea level or you are prone to altitude sickness, I suggest getting to Kanab several days before your internship starts so that you have time to let your body adjust. And drink lots of water! I felt miserable my first few days in Kanab due to the altitude and homesickness. I considered going back to Minnesota before my internship even began. Now, I know about myself that I personally have trouble with transitions, probably more so than most people. But, it is a tough adjustment no matter where you're coming from just because life there is so different than most places. After giving myself time to transition, I had one of the best experiences of my life. And then, before I knew it, it was over. Time for another transition back home. I had grown so close to the animals, people, and even the lifestyle in Kanab, that transitioning back home has been incredibly difficult. My advice is to plan some things that you love to do and people you want to see for when you get back. Seeing my friends and going to my orchestra rehearsals has grounded me back in my life at home, helping me realize that I can also be happy outside the bubble of Best Friends.

There's so much more I feel I could tell a potential intern, but part of the fun is figuring it all out by yourself as you go. Plus, this is getting to be a really long blog post! So, go out there, immerse yourself, and have an amazing experience! This goes for people who are going out just for a few days or weeks to volunteer as well. Same advice applies!

Thank you, Best Friends, for a life-changing experience. I'll be back one way or another!