The Daily Smorgasbord JUN 2014 | Page 18

The  Great  Outdoors.    A  hobby.    A  Lifestyle.    A   career.     Lawrence  of  Arabia.     Roy   Chapman   Andrews.    Darwin.     John  Muir.     Thousands   of   unnamed   biologists,   geologists,   environmental   scientists   and   engineers.     Millions  of   people  have  hacked  out   livings   doing   what   they   love   outside.     Why   does   the   modern   collective   thought   seem   to   think   that   the   wilds   are   just   a   place   to   vacation,  or  a  place  to  dream  of?    Why  do   so  many  people  think  that  nature  is  a  last   stronghold   of   environmentalism?     It’s   surrounds   everything,   overpowering,   almighty,  and  it  will  win  in  the  end.         Many   people   grow   up   loving   to   spend   time   outside.    Many   of   these   people   will  grow  up  to  sit  behind   a  desk  at  a  9-­‐5   job,   filing   papers   or   trying   to   figure   out   why   the   internet   isn’t   working.     The   reality  is  that  one  can  easily  land  a  dream   career,   doing   what   they   love   in   the   field.     The   geoscience   demographic   is   booming.   Now,   more   then   ever,   mankind   turns   his   gaze   to   natural   resources   and   their   conservation   and   efficient   use.       This   career   field   needs   the   expertise   of   a   colorful  cast  of  characters.    Mountaineers,   adventurers,   photographers,   spelunkers,       extreme   sportsman,   all   lend   their   skills   toward  science  and  engineering.         One   such   job,   one   that   speaks   to   me,   is   a   geophysicist   or   geological   engineer.     My   office   is   the   tundras   of   Sibera,   or   the   Andes   Mountain.     My   job   duty   is   building   clean   water   solutions   for   Nigeria,   or   designing   defense   structures   for   German   Military   Defense   Contractors.     Physically,  my  job  can  take  me  to  the  most   remote   places   on   earth.     Psychologically,   my   work   could   land   me   on   the   cover   of   National   Geographic’s   emerging   explorer,   or   outdoor   life,   or   any   backpacking/kayaking  magazine.