Inspiration in the Woods: Day Four

Day Four

Inspiration in the Woods

By: Audrey Garcia

Arg136@txstate.edu

Steps traveled: 16.460

Fun Fact: Weekly on Fridays, from May through October, Yosemite Conservancy offers “Yosemite Wine and Paint!”

Dr, Babak Darvish posing for a photo during Wednesday lunch

To say Wednesday was inspirational would be an understatement. After a great spiritual experience on Tuesday at the Mariposa Grove, I was able to schedule an interview with an equally miraculous doctor.

Dr. Babak Darvish an Iranian Jewish refugee from the 1979 Iran crisis, had moved to the U.S. at the age of 10. With help from HIAS, a Hebrew immigration non-profit, Darvish and his brother were able to get refugee status while in England, and they found a new home in New Jersey. 16 years later Dr. Darvish graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine with the hopes of being an Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, but after being diagnosed with a rare disease called HIBM (Hereditary Inclusion Body Myopathy) he quickly had to adapt and change his plans. Now, Dr. Darvish runs a nonprofit organization called Advancement of Research for Myopathies (ARM). He co-founded the organization with his older brother, who happens to also have the rare disease. Their goal is to find a cure and help others who are affected by this disease and other ones like it.

“Amazing,” I thought. I couldn’t believe I was able to interview this man and get to talk to him about his journey to becoming a doctor and non-profit founder.

A page taken during my nature journaling class

Seeing Stars

After having another emotional day, including a nature journaling class in the morning, Sam and I decided to head back to camp and take a nice break before going to the Star Party later that night.

We arrived at the star party around 8:55 p.m. and prepared ourselves for some amazing nighttime visuals. During the party I learned that the “Big Dipper” isn’t actually a constellation. WHAT? It is an asterism, a smaller group of prominent stars that usually belong to a larger constellation. I felt like I’d been lied to throughout all those elementary gym star parties.

The guide led a great star party and I even got to see several shooting stars. It was a joyous, new experience for my last full day in Yosemite.