Noah's Closing Thoughts

My experience becoming an Oceanography major in a way mirrored my experience of being added as a member of the SWIFT team - hectic and extremely unconventional. I did not realize my desire to switch to Oceanography until midway through one semester of another major, and the opportunity to join SWIFT did not open up until nearly a week before the team's departure. Although my addition was unique and unexpected, I was grateful for the team's willingness to immediately accept me into the group.

This past semester, I've fallen in love with the material I've been studying in both my Oceanography and Meteorology classes. I am passionate about the environment, and it has been intriguing to begin to unravel the secrets of the math and science behind our understanding of how the atmosphere works. Aside from the thrill-seeker and adventurer in me, this academic interest was my main motivation for embarking on SWIFT; I desired to apply the classroom concepts learned this past semester to real-life scenarios. I've also always had a soft spot for long family road trips, which is essentially what this trip became.

SWIFT simultaneously fulfilled my expectations and also completely surprised me. I was amazed by the sweeping landscapes, powerful storms, and lightning shows, and I was concurrently unprepared for the hours upon hours of deliberation, uncertainty, and the often frustrating unpredictability of the natural environment (ironic, I know). The team shared countless laughs throughout the journey and I greatly expanded my practical meteorological knowledge. Plus, we even saw a tornado on our last chase day - I swear we did.

- N.R.E.