by Chyanne Smith, of Weber State University

When I was accepted into Round River, I immediately wondered what everyone else in the program would be like. I wondered if everyone would get along, if I would fit in, what kind of interests and backgrounds the other students would have. When you’re spending six weeks with a group of strangers, these are reasonable questions. About two months before our departure date, I received an email that contained the names of the other students. This was my first clue into the people I would soon be spending so much time with. Two of the other students (Alexis and Kelsey) also lived in Utah. I had met Alexis before at Weber State University, but hadn’t spent much time with her. Alexis, Kelsey, and I decided to meet up over pho before leaving the US. It was so nice to get to know a little bit about them and set my mind at ease. When we left Utah for Mongolia, us three were on the same flight. Having familiar faces to travel with was comforting. We had a layover in Seoul, South Korea, and that is where we met up with three more students: Grace, Mathew, and David. It was nice to put names to faces. We boarded our next flight and when landing in Mongolia we met the final student, Alyssa. We gathered our luggage and headed off to meet our instructors and start our journey. 

The group hanging out in front of a ger in Lake Huvsgul (left to right) David, Mathew, Alyssa, Kelsey (kneeling), Chyanne, Alexis (kneeling), Grace, Eli (instructor). Photo credit: David Ahrens.

Flash forward four weeks and here we are, I believe our group has gotten along extremely well! We had inside jokes from basically day one, nicknames began in the first week, as well as weekly traditions, such as “Film Review Friday”, where someone explains the entire plot of a movie to the others…even if it takes three hours to do so. Our group is thoughtful, wild, and fun. We’ve had deep discussions in class, numerous dancing and singing parties, volleyball games, and lots of other shenanigans. Here is a glimpse into the classmates I’ve gotten to know: 

Alexis (Bean) – She can usually be found smiling and telling stores about some crazy way that she got injured. Her favorite band is The National and if she could have any superpower it would be to never break a bone again. 

Kelsey (Fire Kween) – She has the best and most contagious laugh and can often be heard talking about her love of fly fishing. Her favorite band is The Eagles and her superpower would be to be able to see and control time. 

Kelsey giving Alexis a trim while Mathew and Alyssa watch. Photo credit: Chyanne Smith.

Grace (E.T.) – She is up for any physical challenge and is known for coming up with very philosophical answers to discussion questions. Her favorite band is U2 and her superpower would be to always feel comfortable and make others feel comfortable. 

Grace and Alexis sharing cheesecake in Ulaanbaatar. Photo credit: Chyanne Smith.

Mathew (Bush Boi) – He is a true naturalist. He can be found checking out plants, insects, and birds at every opportunity and sharing his knowledge with us. His favorite band is The Strokes and his superpower would be flight. 

David (Dusty) – He is the class clown. He is always cracking jokes, running TMZ Darhad, and editing photos. His favorite singer is BØRNS and his superpower would be teleportation. 

Mathew being interviewed by David during a TMZ Darhad segment. Photo credit: Chyanne Smith.

Alyssa (The Tamer) – She is very studious and makes sure to always have her work done. She can also be found belting out musicals or dancing Gangnam style. Her favorite band is Bad Columbus and her superpower would be shape shifting.

Chyanne (myself, aka Rodent Warrior) – I’ve been described by others as very independent, always having my own plan. Also, as always being down to have a laugh about anything. My favorite band is Led Zeppelin and my superpower would be talking to animals. 

(left to right) Alexis, David, Mathew, Chyanne, Alyssa, Kelsey, Grace at Eliin Davaa. Photo credit: Chyanne Smith.

I’m so glad I’ve gotten to know this group of hooligans that I can now call friends.