These past 2 weeks have been such a struggle. Not only have the scramble to find proper equipment and the preparation of our 2 taxa (Jellyfishes and Cockroaches)  and lecture topic (Rainforest canopy) been shaving away at my sleep, but the sheer excitement that a childhood dream will be met in a little over 12 hours has been keeping me on my toes. Or maybe it’ll be a nightmare, who knows!

I haven’t had direct experience with the tropics. I’ve only seen the forests and pristine reefs on BBC programs from the comfort of my couch. So, I anticipate this course to be quite grueling physically and enriching mentally. I expect long hours working out in the fields, with mosquitoes, cacophonic animal calls, buzzes, sweat, smells and what not overwhelming the senses. I expect, in the midst of the suffering, to be awed by the sheer diversity of shapes and forms of flora and fauna in the forest and reefs. And that would make the physical hardships totally worth it. But, I have a feeling there’s more to it. The in depth knowledge gained from the required readings, the primary literature, and other preparations has also enlightened me to the inner workings that drive and sustain the forests and seas.

I’m excited to witness in person the seemingly sci-fi mechanics of these diverse areas. At times in preparation and readings, I’ve felt a worrying tug that perhaps the trip will be underwhelming like the black and white print of the readings. But each break, when I close my laptop and look outside, I suddenly am reignited with passion to see the color of the world around and understand that behind the black text and white page is an attempt to find a new hue to color our world. Philosophical musings aside, I’m nervous about not being prepared enough for the trip, or not knowing enough about my topics and taxa than what was expected of me.

I hope to learn more in depth about the taxa and topics from my colleagues and friends on the trip. I hope to understand the life of a tropical biologist by learning methods of working in a forest, traversing canopies, diving to depths and witnessing first hand what it is that drives these biologists to ceaselessly investigate the these areas.