I was recently inspired by Katie Dogg's "letter to me" blog post. And as I'll be graduating less than two weeks from now, I thought it would be fun to write my take on the subject as an outdoorsman. If I, as a senior leaving UW Madison, could write a letter and send it to myself as an incoming freshman, what would I say? What outdoors advice would I give myself? Well, here goes.
Dear Mitch,
I know you're pretty nervous about moving to Madison. This will be your first time living in a city bigger than 5,000 people. You'll have to hear sirens more than once a week and gone are the days of waking up to fresh meadow air and songbirds. But as daunting as it will be to move to the city where concrete, instead of ferns and jackpines, seems to grow at every turn, you'll be just fine. Sure, you'll miss the outdoors and nature, but if you figure out where to look, you'll find there's more to the the city than meets the eye. Here's my advice to help ease your transition and fulfill your outdoors void. The sooner you figure this stuff out, the happier you'll be:
You're not alone! I know it seems like campus is full of Coasties, hippies, athletes, and trust-fund babies, but you're not alone, here. There are plenty of kids on campus just like you. They grew up in the country, they're down-to-earth, and some of them (wait for it) even like to hunt and fish (gasps!). Don't be afraid to wear a camo hat to the football game. Don't be afraid to chew on a toothpick as you walk down State Street. And on the first day of class, when you're doing ice-breakers and introductions, be sure to say you enjoy the outdoors. By expressing the fact that you like hunting and fishing, even on a "liberal" campus like UW Madison, you will meet more people who feel the same way as you than you will people you'll alienate. Be proud, don't hide behind the fact that you're an outdoorsman!Be active in your student groups. This kind of goes with the first nugget of knowledge, but no matter what campus you're on, there'll be students with similar interests as you. Check out the listing of student organizations or clubs; you'll be surprised to find both an active hunting and fishing club on campus! And even if there isn't one, don't be afraid to start one up. When you're a senior you'll realize how rewarding it was to be a founding member of UW's Ducks Unlimited chapter that raised over $30,000 for wetland conservation. So take full advantage of the clubs and organizations on campus. They're great for socializing, networking, and sometimes, it'll be nice to just talk with fellow outdoorsmen! In fact, you might be surprised, but four years down the road you'll realize that most of your good friends from college were made through your participation in the Badger Hunting Club. You'll look back and figure out that some of your best memories were from meeting new people, sharing a duck blind with them, and then racing back to campus to catch your 9:55 stats lecture. The people and experiences you'll make in your student orgs will last a lifetime.
I sure won't remember all the classes I went to, but I'll always cherish the times I spent with friends in the duck blind.
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