I'm Off to Manhattan!

Hello friends and family! It has been quite a while since I've posted on this blog (I should have done so when I went to AASHE in Portland last year) but I'm at it again, sharing my thoughts, lessons learned, and information that I've gained from my travels. This time I'm going to Manhattan, not too far away from home, to attend the 12th International Phytotechnologies Conference.

For those of you who aren't very familiar with the topic, "phytotechnology" is the fancy way of saying "using plants to remedy contaminated soils". I don't have much in the way of background on this topic, but from the little reading that I have done, I very much look forward to immersing myself in this world for a few days. Opportunities to meet people from across the globe is always exciting, but having something in common with them is even greater! I have a feeling I will come away inspired to implement some of the ideas into my work at school or later in my professional career.

Speaking of work, I would like to give a shout out and a huge thanks to my employer at Johnson County Community College, the Center for Sustainability, for supporting me financially on this mission of mine. I would probably be much more stressed right now than I am if not for your help.

Of course, if any of you readers know of some helpful resources for me related to phytotechnology, or feel like reaching out to me for some other reason, I'm always eager to hear from you.

Tomorrow is day one, and I plan on posting at some point in the evening.

Cheers, and happy fall. :)

Comments

Day Four: Bigger Pots

Today was different than the rest of the conference in many regards. First of all, about 50% of the scheduled sessions were cancelled because the presenters failed to actually show up to the conference in the first place! This was especially unnerving, as I wanted to listen to quite a few about biofuel and constructed wetlands, but they were all cancelled. So me, being my usual studious self, found a seat outside to study up for my entomology test. I didn't feel like subjecting myself to more of the micro-discussions, because it is just too far out of my element. I don't even feel like I can be a part of the conversation because doing so would require me actually understanding the basic concepts. Graphs can get complicated, let me tell you. I went to one session yesterday where the researcher spent five of his fifteen allotted minutes explaining the various features of his graph. It made sense by the end, but geez. The field trip was a...

I Made It!!

So getting around is actually not as hard as I thought it was! At least in America. International can get a bit tricky, but I can proudly say that I used the Metro Rail in Washington, D.C. without (too many) issues, and arrived at my homestay abode without a scratch! I arrived this evening around five and talked with everyone while they came and went...I met people from northern California, Seattle, West Virginia, and St. Louis. It's soo cool to hear about everyone's struggles with their congressmen and what they're doing to communicate effectively. I also wish that I had as much experience as them! There have been some vocab words flying across the table, like externalities, yellow dog democrat, and others that make me feel very young and inexperienced; that being said, I love spending hours just listening to everyone talk! It's so much better than at school or with my friends sometimes, when the conversation is limited to a certain array of topic...

The beginning of my summer adventure

So...I wanted to see where I had left off the last time I posted, and didn't realize that it was all the way back in February! That means that you missed out on my April visit day adventure, my whirlwind of graduation, saying goodbyes at the farm, my apartment search in Minneapolis, and my offer/acceptance of a summer internship in Beloit, KS. I'll keep some of the back story abbreviated because I think that some of my best writing will focus on (strangely enough) the beauty of living in rural Kansas. I, of all people, having grown up in Lawrence and felt that it was way too small for my liking, am falling in love with the calm and relaxed nature of small-town living. But first! For the catch up on other life happenings, and how I got to Beloit in the first place. 1. Summer internship applications Applied for one with the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, one in Alaska related to conservation, another in Singapore, and of course one through K-State Research and Exten...

Traveling Insights: An Inside Perspective

Search This Blog