Reasons why I love field work, even though I'm homesick

1. Working closely (we are talking spending 24 hours/day every day) with people you'd normally not associate with or meet. From my experiences I have gotten to know pretty well: a future midwife, an extreme nature junkie, a rafting guide (who almost drowned me), a serious East coast baseball enthusiast, somebody named Apple, an Israeli immigrant, a Mormon, a Japanese exchange student, and the most normal, and yet still quirky, boss to date
   
2. Learning intimately every road, trail, and city, sometimes better than the locals.
3. Being forced to know where you are at all times, even when all the unmarked dirt roads look the same.
   
4. Sleeping under the stars (in my tent of course).
   
5. No cellphone, t.v., or internet. It's nice to get away for awhile, even if it is away from the most important people in your life. It makes you appreciate them more.
6. Not showering everyday. Yes, I said it.
7. Seeing animals in the wild most people never encounter. To date my list includes (but is not limited to): 2 mountain lions, dozens of black bears (some of which I've hugged), bobcats, grey fox, turkey vultures, turkeys (in my campsite), burrowing owls, peregrine falcons, greater sage grouse, 14/15 species of bats, osprey, lots of different kinds of water birds and hawks, kit fox, coyotes, elk, moose, pronghorn, and most recently, an American badger
8. When something goes wrong, YOU have to fix it. You're out in the middle of nowhere, with no cell phone reception, and if you don't, then you'll lose a whole day's worth of work or be stranded. It's usually one or the other.
9. Being outside, even if it 100 degrees (but not when it is freezing)
   
10. Becoming independent and learning to adapt to each situation
11. Gaining a better understanding of the world around me, and how I fit in it.

And those are just some of the reasons why, even as I am desperately homesick, I don't think I could ever give up field work.