It’s been a relief to be back home after such a long and stressful semester. You never do realize how fast a month can fly by until it’s the night before your 9am flight to El Paso and you’re struggling to fit 7 weeks of life into two suitcases. (I guess I don’t really need that huge blanket, but I’m sure going to try and make it fit)

Of course, traveling to a new place is always exciting. There is so much potential, so much knowledge to be gained, so many new experiences awaiting me. It’s interesting to think how much of this internship experience will be completely new to me. This will be the first time traveling completely alone and to a place without family or friends to make it feel at least a little bit like home. It sounds a bit daunting, but I’m up for the challenge of putting myself out there and meeting new people. I have absolutely no experience with capacitive deionization systems and to be totally honest, I first heard about the concept a couple of weeks ago, but that’s just another challenge I’m sure will be fun to explore (and eventually overcome). I’m grateful for this opportunity to branch out and gain more independence as well as experience in the field of water treatment. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my summer. Cheers to broadening horizons and I look forward to sharing more updates on my research and desert experience.