Week 9: Bittersweet...

Week 9: Bittersweet…

High: Before I head off to college again I get to go on one last summer trip with my mom exploring some of the national parks in California

Low: This is my last week working this internship. My last day is officially tomorrow :(

Buffalo: I really did love my time here and I am very thankful to the Lord for the experience and everyone I got to work with. You were all so patient and encouraging and I appreciated every moment of it.

     I know I have said it before but I’ll say it again. This internship has taught me so much! It helped me realize how capable the God has created me to be. One of the main reasons I decided to get an internship this summer was to gain experience in the agriculture industry. Lord knows I needed it. However, selfishly another reason I wanted to do this was this was to prove to myself I could do it.
    
     I knew I had to put myself in a position where I had to put in the work. Whether that be outside on the tractor or surfing Facebook and making calls to customers. I sometimes have a hard time with self-discipline and if I hadn’t taken on some sort of consistent work this summer I would waste it away scrolling through the endless mindlessness that is Instagram. I wanted something that required me to wake up and get moving. I needed something that had expectations of me to show up and look to grow. That is exactly what this internship proved to be.

     I am now a firm believer that everyone should have to bale at least one field in their life. Less to do with the fact of how humbling it is and more to do with the fact that you have to just be in the moment. Out in the field, it is you, your tractor, and acres of grass that are waiting to be turned into round bales. It’s simple. Sure, obstacles will crop up from time to time but that is where growth is truly found. It is in the mistakes and the mess that people learn. When I head off to college I will be greeted with essays waiting to be written and homework assignments waiting for me to ignore because I (falsely) believe that I will make it all up on the exams that stare at me from the calendar with impending doom. In the moments when things feel overwhelming, I will look back at the time I got to spend out in the tractor a time when things were simpler and I was waiting for that beautiful moment when the sunsets and the sky is decorated with a moon so beautiful I pray I never forget it. It is in those moments life can be simple and every hour put in to get to that place is more than worth it. To get to sit there and breathe, taking in all of nature's simple beauties.

For those who would rather not read the novel above and would rather just know the applicable skills I learned, here is the bullet-pointed list:

•  I got to work with power tools fixing rake wheels and an air compressor to clean our radiators in the tractor. 
• Learned how to drive a tractor and bale hay using a batwing mower, a speed rake, and a Vermeer baler.
• Worked long hours in the best ways - Leveraged technology/social media to troubleshoot mechanical issues. For example: I posted in the Facebook group Hay Kings to see if anyone could help me figure out what was wrong with our baler.
• I gained experience marketing on Facebook. (making beef and hay ads)
• Made hundreds of calls to sell beef. Quickly forced me to get over any anxiety I used to get making calls.
• Got into the practice of reading for 20 minutes every day. 10 minutes to help increase my business knowledge and 10 minutes reading the Bible to help me stay anchored throughout the day.
•  Made beef deliveries all over north Texas with Willie
• Learned how to effectively communicate with other team members to tackle tasks.
• Taught me how to better assess and solve problems (WD40 and a hammer solved at least 85% of my problems on a daily basis).
• It is always better to admit you don’t know and ask a “dumb” question than go on never knowing the answer.

What’s next?

Turns out I enjoy being outside for hours on end and putting my body to work. So, for this next semester I have decided to try and get a job at a horse barn to gain some more job experience for my resume. I am also planning on serving as a small group leader for high schoolers at my church. Finally, to really nail down that self-disciple I have signed up to run a half marathon in December. My classes look to be interesting and I am excited for the road ahead. Not exactly sure what is in store but I know if I keep my eyes on God He will make a way even if one is not apparent right now. (Isaiah 43:19).