Engineering your world!

I am finally doing what I came to do, that is engineering!

The past two weeks have felt like an actual internship. I am actually working on a project down in Costa Rica, its a ministry camp. So my project leader hands me a stack of 11x17 Autocad drawings with red marks all over them and tells me to fix the drawings. So I've been staring at a computer, editing computer drawings of a camp somewhere down in Latin America. Its been a good learning experience because my skills at Autocad are somewhat lacking.

But today, my project leader said Costa Rica was finished enough and I could start working on my own project, China! Just a recap, in July I was in China for about 2 weeks working on the second phase of a greenhouse project. I was part of the structural team and now back in the states, I'm making all the changes to the drawings for the different truss members and back wall design. I'm helping my project leader organize files and write the project report. Truly an intern! Its a lot easier to work on my own project because I have a better perspective on the whole thing and I enjoy it.

The other interns and I have also been taking advantage of our last few weeks in beautiful Colorado. Last Friday, some of the staff members took us rock climbing in the Garden of the Gods (we go frequently), but this time I got to do some lead climbing!
On a rock face, many times there are pins every six to ten feet embedded in the rock. The first person must climb to each pin hooking in their rope as they go, meaning between pins you are only 'tied' to the lowest pin. That person then connects the rope to the top so the rest of the people can climb, that's called top rope.

The next morning, one of my roommates, Hannah, my mentor from work, Laura, and I hiked up the back of Pikes Peak, the most famous fourteener (14,000 ft) in Colorado. Its about a six mile hike up and took us a little less than five hours. At the top we were expecting a grand view of Colorado Springs, but nope, the top was covered in a cloud resulting in twenty foot visibility. It was actually pretty cool, like out of Princess Bride or something.

I love Colorado! (Yes mother, I am coming home. I promise) But I'll be back.....

So we just have a week left and then back home for one more year of school. We are all packing our days with outdoor adventures and just hanging out with one another. I'll miss the family I've made here and we all continue to miss Phill. But no more with closing comments, I still have a week! Rock climbing! Hiking! Frisbee Golf! Oh, yeah and work!

Love you all!

Lianne