By Rachel Arbor | Masters in Teaching in the Biological Sciences | Class of 2023
Education Abroad Program: Global Field Program: Project Dragonfly, Summer 2021

Looking back at my field journal, I’m bombarded with the same quote: “I feel so inspired.” I hope that sentiment resonates throughout this reflection, as it’s my most powerful, guttural takeaway from this life-changing experience posing as a Masters Program.

Sometimes when I close my eyes, I’m transported back there and my senses instantly come alive: I feel the soft sand embracing my skin, the heat of the Mexican desert Sun, and my clothes, damp from the endless dips into the crystal-clear ocean. I see my feet dangling over the edge of my cot, watching the sunrise, trying to stay grounded and remind myself that this is real life. I hear love: among the birds, calling to each other in the morning light, the splash of the waves – sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce, and the joy in the laughter emulating from the kitchen. And oh, the smells from the kitchen! What a magical surprise to learn those meals would be some of the best, most delicious I’ve ever had.

Some of my favorite moments were those when I first woke up, seeing my new nature family awake in their own way: paddle-boarding in the rainbow of the sunrise, reflecting on the ways we’ve all changed and grown in this short time in our journals, and sometimes just sitting and soaking it all in.

All that before the day even began! What I have yet to mention is just how teeming with life Baja is. The days were filled with exploring. What a life to lead! One day, we went out on the water and became slowly entertwined with the morning route of a pod of dolphins, dancing and jumping in numbers greater than at least 50. We continued our adventures and encountered blue-footed boobies, schools of hundreds of manta rays, and oh yeah – swam alongside gentle and giant juvenile Whale Sharks. Suffice it to say, these life-long memories continue to fill me with awe.

The nights seemed to teem with somehow more life! From snorkeling with octopus and bioluminescence (straight out of the Harry Potter universe) to night hiking with tarantulas and “hunting” for scorpions with black lights, I have never felt more entrenched in our natural world. And what a world it is!

Being in this program, connecting with so many amazing people and organizations across the globe – it’s an easy reminder that we truly are making a difference. That this matters. I am so proud and grateful to be a Project Dragonfly student – not just for these memories, but also for the way it challenges me to think differently and more deeply. Don’t even get me started on the Aventureros. Feeling the wonder in my eyes and seeing it reflected in those of the amazing local kids – who took it upon themselves to make their environment that much greener through research and trash removal on local beaches – VSFS is doing it right. I feel so lucky to be in this program and learn from my new family of fellow students – knowing that we’ve all come together, each from our own professions with our own unique perspectives – through our shared love and wonder of the world around us.

When we got back to the States and began inevitably filling out social media accounts with memories from our shared life-changing experiences, VSFS asked us to use the hashtag “#bajamágica” – what a gift it is to have a simple phrase that could so eloquently capture the feelings of being there! Taking a moment to reflect on these experiences is yet another gift. It brings me joy just to write this and smile at Baja Rachel who’s made her way into a new life, guided by her experiences in this one, short, life-changing trip.

My Ba-jaiku

Hearts transform as a
spiritual abduction
moves this Baja fam