Back in January when I was applying for jobs and internships, I was presented with a number of opportunities…. to work in any number of vaguely generic labs assisting with vaguely generic physics-y research. Not being one to settle for the vaguely generic, I let the ADD kick into overdrive, and went to Google to find something a bit more unique. Nobody seemed willing to take a second-year physics student to Antarctica, and Mt. Holyoke’s Svalbard program had run out of funding. There was an offer in Alaska though…
Lo and behold, several months later after the “vaguely generic” programs had all rejected me, I got an e-mail from the Alaska people offering me an REU position. Sweet!
Finals came and went, and after a much-needed 2-week break at home, I found myself on a plane to Seattle, where I would meet up with another plane. As is usual for me, I barely packed until the last minute, and tediously picked out the two 50lb bags of clothes and possessions that I would have with me for the next ten weeks. I did take great care, however, to have my bike packed up to be shipped to me here, only to find out that it would cost about $200 to actually do so, which is more than my bike (which has been sitting outdoors in Williamsburg for two years) is worth. I later found out that I could have taken it on the Plane/Train with me for about $50. C’est la vie.
After flying to Seattle (eating some yummy airline food in the process), and sprinting off the plane to avoid missing my 20-minute layover, I found myself on another plane to Anchorage. I’ll be taking a train to my final destination in Fairbanks tomorrow. Upon exiting the airport, I noticed that it was perfectly light outside despite being midnight. I knew that Fairbanks would have 24 hours of daylight during the summer solstice, but didn’t expect Anchorage to be completely devoid of anything resembling “nighttime”, especially this early in the summer. Needless to say, my internal clock is going bezerk, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I develop some form of Insomnia while I’m here.
After navigating my way out of the paradoxically huge airport, I hailed a cab, went to my hotel, and almost immediately passed out. This is the view from the hotel room around 1am:
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