(Banff pictured- a lovely U shaped valley)In just over a month I will be in the field... first the McMurdo Dry Valleys, second Mount Kilimanjaro. Preparing for these trips is a true test of my organizational skills. I have bags of bottles and gear slowing amalgamating behind my desk and in the lab our spare closet upstairs...rolling beneath my feet, squishing into corners.
I count my great fortune that I am a scientist. Although I like a physical challenge, I am especially invested in the mental challenge- the awe of discovery! And, I have superb mentors- I can't say enough about the advantages of working with the NSF McMurdo Long Term Ecological Research Program, especially my advisor, Dr. Berry Lyons. I am also very fortunate that Dr. Lonnie Thompson has let me join his transdisciplinary team (policy and science). These will mark my last dissertation expeditions, but fuel future inspirations. In the meantime, I have a lot of packing, planning, and writing left to do...
