New things through lists.

By Laurel
New things I am doing in the lab recently...
-Grinding plants with a pestel and mortar: haven't done this since 10th grade biology or something....
-Learning how to use the Atomic Adsorption Spectrometer
-Using my Biological Processes background to figure out where to get "primary effluent" with a concentration of ~30(+) mg/L NH4-N from at the local wastewater treatment plant

This week has been very busy for me, but with any sort of luck, help from lab staff, and hard work, I hope to have results by Friday!! I am really excited to see how they turn out. Even if I lost mass of my heavy metal, zinc. This excitement is why I am one of those crazy scientists....

New things I did this past weekend...
-Rode my bike from the Netherlands into Belgium, without even really noticing a border sign wherever I crossed the border
-Began to realize how to recognize a terrible map when I first see the map
-Strolled through a forest and viewed art sculptures in the forest: pretty amazing
-Ate Belgian frites with a ton of mayonnaise on top (and I hate U.S. mayonnaise....)
-Discovered salsa dancing in Delft

This summer is going by in a flash, as expected. I am trying to reconcile the fast-pace of events here in Europe with the knowledge that in Two month's time, I will be in a very different world, at a much slower pace, in the Peace Corps. Alone on long rides, just me and the bike (which is absolutely a great bike in my opinion), I can just focus on finding my way from point A to point B, at whichever speed I choose. Sometimes I feel like flying down the open bike road, and sometimes I get tired. I can say that biking is a sport I truly enjoy doing alone.

I also have to say that I love Delft. I love it more than any town I have been through by bike in the Netherlands. I would call it quaint, picturesque, laid back, small....