How Did It Get So Late So Soon?

Thumbs up for science!

It’s hard to believe that we are back in Minnesota already. I cannot believe how the time has flown.  It is great to be home, but I found myself having a hard time leaving Iceland. There is so much left to do and experience! I look forward to the day when I can return. The field days are over for now, but the fun in the lab is just beginning.  We were able to accomplish so much this summer and I am looking forward to running samples, as well as analyzing and interpreting the data this fall. 

Four months ago, I would have never dreamed that I would travel to another country for the summer and be able to do cutting edge research with a gorgeous backdrop.  The days were long and sometimes the weather didn't cooperate, but I never felt like I was going to work. I enjoyed the challenges that we were faced with every day and the satisfaction that comes from knowing that no matter the obstacle we faced, we were able to overcome it and find our own creative solution.

One of the final times working with these chambers.  
Oh, how I miss them!

Before this trip, I will admit that I was hesitant and unsure about my abilities as a scientist. This experience has given me the confidence to know that sometimes, more often than not, something isn’t going to work, but I also know that I will figure out how to make it work.  Yes, that is the research process in action and I have a much stronger understanding of the scientific process and the creativity and trial and error involved.

I led an entire research project out in the field this summer; a task I would have never sought out. Prior to this experience, I found myself reading journals and protocols never asking WHY the authors did something in a particular way.  Now, I finish reading an article with more questions than when I started reading.  I think more critically and thoroughly now.   This experience has given me the confidence to understand complex biological processes and has encouraged me to pursue research further. I am excited to begin working with our samples in the lab this semester. I'm eager to see what stories they have to tell us!