Introduction to a Wanderlust

Hi everyone! My name is Iab Vang and my major is Biology. Biology is really interesting because you get to learn about living things whether it is plants, animals, or humans! 

The best class that I have taken is Field Herpetology at the OU Bio-station this summer. I signed up for this class not knowing what it was. It was only 2 weeks and would count as a 3-credit lab so I said why not? Also, I met the professor at a biology club meeting so I was sold. I would have to say that this was the best experience I’ve ever had. Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles so we were exposed to a lot of snakes, turtles, frogs, and many more! (I am definitely not a reptile or amphibian girl!!!) Some animals we caught were Timber Rattlesnakes, Copperheads, Leopard Frogs, Green Treefrogs, Red-eared sliders, a Stinkpot, Mississippi Box turtles, and many more! The night the copperhead was caught, the class celebrated with ice cream and it was great! We went out to different fields like creeks and swamps to collect these animals. At first I was really scared to touch them, but the last couple of days I finally got to catch some. We collected these animals to test them for the disease Chytrid, which is an infectious disease that is currently affecting amphibians. Overall, I did not want this class to end. I enjoyed it so much that I am currently volunteering at the Sam Noble Museum, helping with my professor’s current research. I highly recommend taking a course at the OU bio-station because it will be an unforgettable experience!

(Catching a Copperhead: Photo taken by Joshua Kouri; photo from OU biostation July 2016)

(Alligator snapping turtle: Photo taken by Joshua Kouri; photo from August 2016)

One thing that I love doing most is traveling. This past year I was fortunate enough to go to Miami, Los Angeles, and Clearwater. I got to go Miami for the Orange Bowl game and it was so much fun! Although we lost, I had a great time and experience there. It was very diverse and I met people from different countries. 

During spring break my sister and I took a trip to Los Angeles. I have two friends currently living there so I thought it would be awesome to visit them and explore a city that I’ve never been to. Los Angeles is a great city and I had such an awesome time. We went to the Santa Monica pier one day and it was super packed but I had fun. We also went to Venice beach and it was beautiful. On another day, we walked down the Hollywood boulevard. There is just so much to do In LA and I will definitely go back. 

(Personal photo of Venice Beach: photo taken March 2016)

Another trip was in May, my family and I went to Clearwater beach for a summer vacation. We met up with other family members and just spent a nice week at the beach. As I mentioned before, I love the beach so I definitely had a great time!

(personal photo of my sister and I parasailing: photo taken in May 2016)

I would say one thing that I have accomplished this past year is logging in a lot of volunteer hours at the Norman Regional Hospital. I volunteered in the recovery room so I was exposed to many patients and also interacted with a lot of nurses and doctors. It has been such a great experience!

Music makes this dog smile!

Story: The shadow

(Dog shadow : Pixabay)

There once was a large bulky dog named Demetri. He lived on his own in a well-hidden cave. He looked different from other dogs and had always felt like the odd one out. He had no family or friends. He enjoyed scaring off other animals and was always known as the bully. Although some days he felt lonely, he never showed it. His love for food was real and there was no one who could stop him from getting what ever he wanted.

One day he was on his way home with a piece of meat that he had stolen from Mateo, a small skinny dog. He decided to take another route home and had to cross a creek. As he was about to cross the creek he took a second glance and saw another large bulky dog with a piece of meat. He was surprised because no one looked like him. Demetri thought to himself that maybe they could be friends since they looked similar. He was picturing all of the fun things they could do and he also thought he wouldn’t be lonely any more.

On the other hand, Demetri was also drooling for that second piece of meat. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to be friends with this large bulky dog or take his piece of meat to have for himself. Since Demetri was always a bully he knew that he had to have that piece of meat and could not control himself. He then snapped at the other dog. He was confused for a bit, but all he saw was a large splash of water and his piece of meat disappearing into the creek. He could not believe what had just happened. Little did he know it was just his own reflection in the water. Demetri went home starving that night and, of course, lonely.

Greed will only hurt you in the end.

Author’s note. I used an Aesop’s fable called, “The Dog and the Shadow.” I really liked the message it sends. It was about a dog on his way home with a piece of meat. He then sees his own shadow in the water so he proceeds to attack it so he could have two pieces of meat and not just one. At the end, he ends up with none because he dropped his piece. He realized it was his own reflection but that was too late. I added a name to the dog and a background story. I felt like the name fit with his personality really well and the background information really tells you why he proceeded with his actions.  

Bibliography. "The Dog and the Shadow" from The Fables of Aesop by Joseph Jacobs. Web source.

Favorite Place

One of my most favorite places is Clearwater Beach in Florida. I love the beach in general but my family and I have always gone here. I love this place because it is beautiful, especially with the white sand. I have a lot of family in different parts of the country, such as Georgia, Minnesota, and California, so when we get together and come here it is awesome. I love seeing my family together and I get to see my cute nieces and nephews. When I think of Clearwater Beach I think of relaxation, fun, and just a good time. It is a great place for children as well. I look forward to trips here every year.

(Clearwater Beach, Florida: Pixabay )

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(Maltese puppy blue bow : Wikimedia Commons )

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