Let me pack my wooden shoes

I depart for the Netherlands tomorrow morning, but there are still a few things that I'm worried about...mainly, where will I find tortillas?!? Besides that, I have a few other bases covered....yes, I packed a few cooking spices (let's see what customs allows). A baby tear fell from my eye when I heard there would be no oven in our kitchens, but I think we'll find some creative ways to bake.

I am very excited to be working with Dr. Maria Kennedy. My project will likely be focused on optimizing coagulation/ultrafiltration pretreatment for RO desalination. This will be a productive and engaging summer filled with exploring, eating new foods, and an overall culturally-rich experience. I've never been to Europe so I'm very thankful for the opportunity to be able to do research abroad at IHE.

Overall, I am looking forward to biking (it's embraced much more than in US), coffee!!! (the netherlands is 5th on the list of coffee consumption per capita), and discovering the differences in culture between the Netherlands and the US (I think life will be a little more laid back). Also, some much needed cool weather will be appreciated, and I will hopefully no longer have a tan in the shape of a bookbag. Farewell, and my next post will be from across the ocean!!

Thank you Dr. Yeh, UNESCO-IHE, and NSF-IRES!!

-MIG