Well, as of two days ago, it's over. We finished things off on Tuesday by going out into a field and getting bird sounds played at us, dining at a local diner that served me a hot dog with a moldy bun, and filling out final paperwork. Then if was adios, au revoir, auf wiedersehen and we were on our own. Bags were packed, the field house was cleaned, and time was killed. Finally, yesterday, my dad came and picked me up and we made the four hour journey back to Ames.

Over the course of the summer I estimate I've traveled over 6000 miles, stayed in 22 different hotels, visited countless points, and hiked at least fifteen miles total, sometimes down roads and sometimes through head high ragweed. I spent at least $1000 on food (most of it reimbursed, thank God), drank 25 different brands of drink, and ate far too many McDonald's breakfasts. I think I'll puke if I see another one. I collected a box full of bones, the trophy of which is a genuine red fox skull. I saw dozens of signs for antique malls. I saw an equal number promoting pro-life. I saw machines rusting in fields, derelict, forgotten. I saw two foxes and a coyote. I got shouted at by a baby deer. The mother was nowhere in sight.

I know it's cliche, but I feel like it was gone in a flash. Two and a half months. 373.5 hours of work by my calculations. Done. The job is over.

In a week's time I shall be traveling back to Chilicothe to settle the summons I received relating to my accident. Until then, things are done. My summer job is over.