Working and enjoying life? Is that possible?!

Getting paid for being outdoors? Sounds like a dream!

I do not mean being outdoors and collecting litter. I do not mean being in the forests chopping wood. What I am talking about is being outdoors in one of the best landscapes in the whole USA and besides… by working I mean talking to people.

Simple as that…

Since July I am in the States for an internship which is related to the US Forest Service. The Western Virginia University, which is a partner university of the one I graduated from in Vienna (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences), hired us (an international student crew of 12 people) for the so called NVUM.

NVUM (National Visitor Use Monitorin Program) is an established nation wide recreational study. NVUM collects all kind of information about the visitors recreation experiences in the National Forests.

My part is being a field interviewer for NVUM, thus collecting information from the visitors through face-to-face interviews. I am working in a couple of National Forests in Oregon and Washington. Mainly I am working in the Gifford Pinchot National Forest & the Columbia River Gorge. The Mt. Hood National Forest is close by and if I am lucky enough I have a shift there from time to time.

Prior to my internship some of the interns grouped up and did a 10 day road trip up from San Francisco, CA to Portland, OR.

There are so many stories to tell with so less time to write and I owe so many. I am really enjoying my time here, especially my days off from work. I think it’s not hard to understand that I prefer a good hike over a blog entry! So don’t blame me for already two months of missing stories!

But hey! At least I have some pictures to share! (Check the 2016 – USA entries)