Last summer, after my first semester at UGA, I was looking for a job on campus to make some extra money and I stumbled upon the most interesting work experience I have ever had. I became a watermelon farmer. I worked with two other students, four researchers, and an agriculture professor on three separate plots of land. Each plot contained around 300 watermelon plants that produce up to four watermelons. That's a lot of watermelons and us three students had to keep them all separate until harvest.

Each day was a new disaster at the Horticulture farm. From the start of summer to the end, the vines would continue to flow away from their origin in random patterns. We had to find which strands went where in a maze of green that seemingly had no end. Our four hour days were long, hot, and exhausting. Yet, we all came back the next day with more will than ever to finish our mission.

We worked on the plots for three grueling months, but I came to enjoy the hard work. The accomplishment we felt when the time came to finally harvest the fruits of our labor was exhilarating. We got to conclude our jobs by taste testing and aiding in the completion of the research. I ate so much watermelon that I practically became one. I was thrilled that I had chosen to become a farmer for the summer and learned everything I did, but I was not ready for it to end.

I left the Horticulture farm in longing of my next hard day of work, but in solace that I had done a fantastic job and can now hope to make my own farm one day. I found that the journey is what made the rewards at the end truly worth it.