The best post that I have written in 2008 must be this — Yes, I’m going to the USA! This post is simply the best because I could finally tell everybody how happy and excited I was to be awarded the scholarship to visit the United States for 4 months! I received the good news some 2 weeks before I wrote that entry but because I was preparing for my final defense, which took place the day before, I did not think much about the scholarship. Or the impending trip and travels. Or the excitement of visiting new places and meeting new people.

Once in a while, I still think about those days I have spent in the United States and Canada. And it all feels so, so surreal. Whenever I went through the pictures that I took in the US, I couldn’t believe that I was once there, in the United States.

I miss going on a 22-foot boat to the Tennessee River to trap turtles. I miss catching pond turtles in the creek. I miss the diamondback terrapins and my fellow interns, research assistants and researchers at the Wetlands Institute. I miss cooking up a storm in the kitchen (literally). I miss take-away pizzas. I miss eating cereal for breakfast and hotdogs for lunch. I don’t miss WAWA, but I miss hearing how much people worship it.

I miss all the friendly Americans and Canadians I have met. I miss their wonderful hospitality. I miss having them around. I miss Chicago.

But life goes on. Admittedly, a very interesting chapter of my life has closed, but that isn’t the end. That chapter has opened my eyes and many other doors of opportunity for me. I may never see my hosts or friends again for the rest of my life, or I may, but they will always be on my mind.

I know I have said this many times over, but THANK YOU, once again, to those of you who have made that chapter of my life so colourful, interesting and memorable!

This post is written for the Simply The Best group-writing project by Joanna Young @ Confident Writing.