<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I've been sending out this message to a lot of people recently, and if you haven't gotten it yet, chances are I'll send it to you eventually if you have a facebook account. We still have a bit of space for PWILD and it's become such an important experience for me and many others that I really want to get as many people as possible to come hiking in North Carolina with me. Project WILD has been a key part of my life at Duke in a great way, and I want to share that.</p>
<p>When I did PWILD last year, I had a little bit of backpacking experience, but mostly just liked the outdoors and thought that having a trip would be fun. It turned out to be a blast - from sliding down rivers to seeing probably the most gorgeous vista from atop a mountain, I honestly think that my PWILD trip was the most fun I'd ever had outdoors. One of the best memories I have from Duke is sitting around a huge campfire at Cove during the last two days of PWILD, surrounded by the best friends I never imagined I could possibly find at Duke, and singing with a hundred other people for hours and hours.</p>
<p>That band of friends I made on PWILD is one that sticks with me today. I found that coming to Duke from PWILD and going through the "Hey, so where are you from? What dorm are you in? What is your major?" thing again was a real surprise, because I felt like I already knew so many people so well, and I was already at home. When I was having a tough time first semester, I had close friends that I could trust. No one from my high school came to Duke my year, and none had the previous year, and PWILD gave me this sense of belonging and cameraderie at Duke that made my first year immensely better and more fun. It's a great way to meet people before you get to Duke.</p>
<p>THINK ABOUT IT! PWILD could be the best choice you ever make at Duke. It's a family, its an adventure, and its something to not miss. If you have questions about PWILD, or want to talk about anything else at Duke, feel free to ask me. Forward this to your friends, too - bring as many as you can!</p>
<p>-Joe</p>
<p>PS: Wonjun, the guitar man and sombreristo, says:
"After two weeks doing something I have never done before with people I have just met, I came out knowing more about Duke, nature, and about me, with 10 new best friends. On first day of orientation, I felt like I was more ready and confident than anyone around me, thinking, I was in the woods for two weeks doing things I never thought I could do. This cant be that bad. And I think I was right. Whenever I want to get depressed, I just imagine my life at Duke without PWILD - unfortunately, it works really well."</p>
<p>PPS: I have around 1,200+ pictures from both the August trip to the forest, which you'd be doing, and from the March trip, which the staffers take during spring break (instead of partying in Tijuana), and if you want to take a look, shoot me a message on facebook or at joseph.meyerowitz AT duke DOT edu.</p>