How did time fly by so fast?

(A corny pun? Yes. Did I absolutely have to do it? Yes, so please laugh like a teeny tiny fly bit. Oops, I did it again.)

I cannot believe that 6 weeks had come to an end in such a flash. What's even more scary is that those 6 weeks ended a little more than half a month ago. Before beginning the Laidlaw research summer, I did not have the smallest clue as to how transformative it would be.

There are several important lessons that the research summer has taught me, with the first being to accept failure as a given part of research. Before I began my lab work, even though every scholar told me and my cohort to be aware that things will not go according to plan, I was like "Pfft, they will go for me because I know exactly what I want to achieve and how I want to achieve it." Yeah, I sound like a delusional smart alec, right? Well, to be honest, most things did pan out quite alright, but not everything since I was not able to get enough images for one of my two species (and to make it better, I do not even know the precise name of that species since we found it in an office plant pot and not from a lab like initially planned). What I am trying to say is that it is so important to face the facts and be okay with not having it all, especially if it is out of your control (I can't count the amount of times I wished that I had 2 more weeks to get those images, but as my supervisor humorously always put it, hey-ho!). I have encountered many challenges, including but not limited to figuring out how to cut and position the dissected critters smaller than a sunflower seed (which I have already covered in extensive detail in my other blog posts), sorting through over 140 images, and figuring out how to write a research output without almost any sources to cross-reference my interpretations to (and I would prefer to not conclude something which in five years' time someone would ridicule me for, but of course, that's part of science). All things considered, I would not have it any other way (if you could not already tell, I love talking like a cheesy movie character). 

The second lesson I learned is that it is not about the destination, it is about the journey and the friends made along the way. I would have had a miserable 6 weeks if I did not have the supportive friendship safety net that helped me get up again at the end of a wearisome day. They might not have been in the lab with me when I was ready to start climbing up walls like a fly out of frustration when time and again a tissue staining did not work as well as I would have liked, but they had their own challenges and that's what made our friendship stronger: knowing that problems will always be there, but so will we and through it all I am so glad we had each other.

The third and last lesson that is worth mentioning was to know when to work and when to be present in the rare moment that I will never have again: being young surrounded by the best of friends during summer in one of the most beautiful places. I know this summer will be one I will always cherish, from the late evening talks to the Sunday brunches to the beach bonfires to the lab anecdotes to the movie and game nights, every moment counted towards a magical memory.

Now that I have done a deep introspection into the depths of my Laidlaw wisdom, I will address what I have been up to since returning home. After half a month being back home in Italy, I have only began the rough draft of my report as it took me nearly a week to sort through all of my photos and create some of the necessary figures. Indeed, having to go through my data not once, but twice (I did not write all of the necessary details the first time), I really had to embrace the 'Live, Laugh, Love' attitude as it got to the point where the black and white images of little dots were so ingrained on my retinas after staring at them for 5-6 hours a day that I literally saw them whenever I closed my eyes for the next few hours post-completion (I am alright now). Thankfully, my downtime from the screen included walking with my neighbour's dog through the countryside, reading a captivating book that explores the most ridiculous aspects of the former USSR, eating as much homemade food as possible (definitely getting the most out of not having to cook), and doing some creative writing on my typewriter. Slowly, my well-being was restored. The triple L outlook on life has also been helpful in navigating my time outdoors, because, although this MAY be just me overthinking it, the number of mosquito attacks that I have had to face would suggest that what I have done in the lab has reached the international mosquito community.  To support my point, I would like to highlight that my mother and my neighbours have not experienced a single bite. I sincerely hope the fly community will forgive me before the start of the next summer when I will be doing my Leadership in Action (LiA) project (which my fellow Laidlaw Scholar Murray Purkis and I are already working on making a reality). This reminds me to point out that you should stay tuned for a whole new round of blog posts! You will not want to miss out on the epic content. 

Before I sign off, here are some pictures from my time here back in la bella Italia: 

Image I: A view from one of my walks of the lush Tuscan hills whose soft appearance is characterised by the silver-green olive trees and tall mediterranean cypresses (the nature staples of Tuscany which you will see everywhere you go). 

Image II: The calm before a storm. This photo was taken at sunset at la spiaggia di Rimigliano, situated by a natural reserve park. 

Image III: A castle I visited on the weekend located in the Pelago comune called il castello di Romena. 

And that's it! I hope you enjoyed my show-and-tell :) Until next summer!