This summer

So school officially ended for me on May 12th, but I stuck around because I had to spend a week at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution immediately thereafter. Getting back from WHOI, I got to witness graduation for the Class of 2010, which was extremely agonizing. I had gotten especially close with the seniors this year so seeing them leave in the drawn-out period of a month or two was a slow torture. Whereas they at least had some sort of closure and therefore the benefit of a celebratory mood, I just got to sit around and think about how all my closest friends will be gone forever next year. Plus I have to take 9 more credits next year.

Graduation for most of my friends was bittersweet; I was just sort of bitter. It didn't occur to me that this strange place where every one of your friends is only a bike ride (or walk? Does anyone do that anymore?) away would come to an end. Oh well. Here I come, retirement home!

At least I still have this blog - you're everything I need, blog! This summer will likely be the most best summer ever. I just arrived from Liberty, Missouri (Truman Scholars get together), am currently in Boston, will travel way up north to the Northwestern Territories on Wednesday (Geochemistry research), followed by data analysis at Woods Hole, followed by a month and a half in Copenhagen (independent research on transportation policy), followed by a week in Tuscon, AZ (Udall ceremony).

My travels are united somewhat by an environmental theme. The gulf oil spill has got me thinking a bit in the past week and I'm interested in seeing how each of the places I'm going is related to this disaster - from the pristine beauty of the Arctic, to the vision of a better society in Copenhagen, to the promise (or sham) of my generation to make the world better in some way at Tuscon and Liberty. Through all this, I hope to weave some preliminary thoughts from which an acceptable senior essay can be derived. I also hope to be entertaining in some way through the postage of my favorite animal youtube clips. Some of them might even be youtube clips of mating animals...

OK, gotta pee. Check back when you can!