Welcome to Tucson!

So I officially made it to Tuscon after 10 days of traveling with my brother to see some of the "classic" sites of America. We visited Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Badlands, as well as 3 relatively close friends along the way- not to shabby for starting out in Newark, Delaware and taking 10 days!

This is definitely the farthest West I have ever been (besides for our stop in Berkeley, CA) and there are a few things I noticed about Tucson, Arizona right away. First, the change in weather/climate and thus the vegetation and landscape. So far the locals tell me it has been a "mild" June, as it has yet to hit triple digits. I can't say I'm looking forward to that even if it is a "dry heat." The sun also stays out for most of the day, however when it set it sets quickly and soon after everything is pitch dark.

Besides the obvious cacti and brown landscapes, the other thing that struck me about Tucson is the amount of people biking. It seems like for every 1 person walking there is at least 5 people biking. I can see why Tucson is considered one of the most bike-friendly places in America. Though it is definitely "construction time" and a lot of the main roads have detours and orange signs.

I start research with Dr. Russ Scott and Dr. Travis Huxman on Tuesday. There is one other undergraduate working with them, her name is Erin. I have yet to meet her, but will be meeting up with her and Dr. Jim Washburne, the Director of SAHRA, on Sunday at the Biosphere 2. So for now I'm just waiting and taking in the community. I guess you could say the calm before the storm....