Week 5 Review and Modelling

Can hardly believe it has been five weeks since I made one of the biggest choices for myself and my education by coming to Virginia. Leaving Maine has been challenging. The weather here has definitely been increasing in humidity and temperature, causing minor panic in the field when you have to distinguish if you are dripping sweat or have ticks crawling all over you.

Early within the week I did receive news from home, that one of  my family members was ill. That is never something you really want to hear, especially being away. Therefore much of my early week was spent keeping in close contact with my parents and other relatives. I did receive some surprise mail from my little cousin Trent, who created an interpretative piece of the two of us as penguins. It definitely brightened my day. 

Trent and I as penguins 

In terms of the tick surveillance it was a pretty standard week. Except! We started mathematic modelling!!! So excited, a bit confused, but still, rather excited. This gives me the opportunity to greater explore and develop understanding of my intended Senior Thesis. Monday, Tuesday, and part of Wednesday, were mostly focused on taking notes on lectures of agent based and differential models, figuring out an action plan for developing my own models, and attempting to find literature.   

Wednesday morning I sorted ticks in the lab and that afternoon I hit the field with Caitlin at Stephens Tract. It was my first time leading through that particular transect, and despite the millions of spider webs, and vicious brambles, we didn't get lost. We also got a lot of ticks!

Thursday I went out with Amy and Holly to hit four field sites. It was a long day beginning at 7am.  Amy and I went out to go to Kiptopeke and met probably the coolest park visitors yet who were asking us a ton of tick questions. It was a good moment of review to see what we have learned, and many things which we still have to learn.

After Kiptopeke, we met up with Holly back at campus and continued our day. We didn't get back from the field until after 10pm; it was definitely a sweaty, hot, humid day but it gave me the opportunity to explore Virginia more and get more field experience, which I will jump at any opportunity for. 

It has been an interesting week for sure, but overall I am proud. Proud of myself for conquering my qualms of travel, embracing a chance to experience a great research opportunity and gaining connections in a variety of fields which should support my future endeavors. Now I need to begin looking up grad schools and start studying for my GREs...at some point. 

-Lexi