How did you spend your summer? I’m asking because if your summer was anything like mine, you miss the days of May, June and July.

I miss the big red barn, women churning butter, dust in the air, the moo of calves, and scent of wood burning and manure festering. These were sights, sounds and scents of my summer as intern on a living history farm. Yes, you read correctly, a living history farm.

It was part-museum and part-working farm. It ran as if it were the year 1880 and we were living on German farm in Schaumburg. When I first told my friends and family that I wanted to do the internship, they thought I was crazy. I’m a history major and journalism minor from the suburbs of Chicago. Prior to this summer, the closest I had ever gotten to a cow was at a petting zoo.

But history is my passion. I always knew I someday wanted a career that had something to do with it. The staff of these museums educate the public on how people lived and give a more “hands-on approach” to history by doing things as they were done. This includes dressing in correct period clothing.

For me, this meant wearing a long-sleeved, ankle-length dress complete with petticoat, knee-high socks, black, lace-up ankle boots and a bonnet in the middle of the summer. In the outfit, I cooked on a wood burning stove (I can make biscuits, cookies and pie), pumped water, did house chores, and gave tours of the grounds.

Along with historic house work, I also got some hands-on experience with the livestock. The farm had a steer, cows, calves, horses, pigs, piglets (which were born during my time there) and chickens. These animals became my companions.

During non-business hours, the farm ran in the 21st century and I had to help out with farm chores. By the end of the summer I could hook up the milking machine on my first try without any help. Don’t get me wrong, it was a lot of work and it wasn’t easy, but I learned a lot about how strong I am this summer and what I can do.

When I started, I was out of my comfort zone and never thought I would be able to do the things they expected me to, but I did. Yes, it was physically and mentally demanding, but I loved it.

Now, I miss the people and animals of that place like crazy. They taught me so much and gave me invaluable experience.

I can’t wait to work in this field someday. It sounds a little silly, but my point is this: do not give up because something seems out of the ordinary, difficult and or even crazy. Do not that let stop you. You might be surprised what you can learn and the experiences you will gain.

Amy Wywialowski is junior history major. She can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].