Wednesday, August 7, 2024
By:
To my loyal followers — please accept my sincerest apologies for my delay. Unacceptable, I know. However, it is not entirely my fault as I had more pressing issues at hand (what could be more pressing than you?? Usually nothing, except in this circumstance). Sunday, I woke up and had to RUSH to the doctor’s office to get antibiotic eyedrops (those exist somehow) before getting on a plane to Europe. Or so I thought. My flight was at 4 PM, so I got there at a reasonable 2 PM. I checked in, made my way through the airport, and settled until boarding. Then came the nightmare. Delay. Another delay. Another delay. It got so delayed that I would’ve missed my connection in Amsterdam if I stayed on that route, and the next connecting flight wouldn’t have been for another 12 hours. So, I switched my flight FIVE (5) HOURS in advance and did everything in my power to ensure that my checked bag (don’t judge me, I’m in Europe for 3 weeks) would get transferred. At the gate for my new flight, I even confirmed with them that my bag was on the flight. “Yep!” they said. And I thought all would be well.
Rookie mistake. I arrived 20 hours later in Turin, Italy, and patiently waited for my bag. You know what wasn’t there? My bag. This means that I am currently in rural Italy with barely any clothes. Luckily, this place I’m staying at for the next week has some spare clothes in its Lost & Found, but it still is not the best situation to be in.
Anyway, I digress. The last week was full of both work and fun (although I still have a couple of things I need to write). Honestly, I could not really tell you what I did, but I got crêpes with Sonja and Maia one of the nights, and on Thursday night, we had a final potluck! It was so chaotic, but it was super fun and nice to have a final event with everyone, as I left for home Friday afternoon. Then Friday, the final symposium, came! Dr. Hakeem Oluseyi gave the keynote speech, and then my turn to present came. Although nerve-racking, I think it’s often best to approach presentations as though you’re trying to tell a story or giving a performance. The other interns’ presentations were fascinating, and I think it was an overall excellent ending to the internship.
I then managed to pack everything into Lola, and my dads and I headed on our merry way back to the Big Apple, making sure to stop at a crab shack for dinner (which was DELICIOUS). Unfortunately, I forgot all my frozen bagels in the freezer as I rushed to leave, much to Maia’s chagrin. Luckily, she managed to give them all away (thank you, Maia!). I also drove in a torrential downpour where visibility is practically nonexistent without killing myself or my parents, so I really should be getting kudos for that.
Overall, this internship experience, as I said in my last blog, has made me grow both as a person and a researcher. From all the friends I’ve made to my mentors, Will and Corinne, to the rest of the CHP/NBLA staff to everyone at SPS, they provided me support and community during these past 10 weeks. For that, I am forever grateful.
Signing off,
Kai
Kai Hostetter-Habib