London Wrap-up!

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  Los Angeles, USA 8:00 AM

I have been in Los Angeles for a full 24 hours now. The flight home was 10 hours, but the plane followed the direction of the sun, so I did not get much sleep on the way back to LAX. Jet lag hit me hard coming home, so I have been feeling exhausted come 7 o’clock these days. However, I would deal with jet lag all over again if it meant getting to spend more time in London! A lot of people think you can “do” London in two or three days, but I could not disagree more! I was there for a week, and had I spent another week there, I still could have found things to do every day. Looking back, I could not be any happier with my trip. Had CSUCI not provided me the opportunity to travel to London, I never would have been able to afford the trip by myself. I know I will not be able to afford to go back for a long time, but I do not feel like I wasted any time while I was there. Every day was jam packed with tours, sightseeing, and lots of walking. When speaking to London locals they even admitted how they have not toured most of the sights I was visiting. On Sunday (our last full day) I even got to do something extra special and attend a service at St. Paul’s Cathedral. The picture above is what the outside of the Cathedral looked like walking up to it. No one was allowed to take pictures inside, so I am especially glad I got to see everything during the service. After church on Sunday, we visited our last sight as a class at Trafalgar Square in front of the National Gallery. Afterwards, a small group of us broke off and visited Camden Market. The market was clearly a tourist trap, with vendors tying to sell fake designer purses and cheap t-shirts, but it was fun to look around nontheless. Afterwards, I ate dinner for the last time in London and had chocolate gelato for dessert. There was no better way to end my time in London, and I am so happy I got to share my experience with everyone reading this blog! Cheerio!

Clam Hatchery 

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A couple days ago we visited the Marine Research Center and looked at the clam hatchery. Charlie Waters, a specialist regarding clams, gave us a thorough explanation about the reasons for low spawning success and the purpose of his research. Charlie explained that low reproduction was due to the distance between individuals. Each species of […]

Successful lagoon day

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   Today was a good data day for the lagoon team. We did not just do 1 lagoon today, nor 2 or even 3. We did 4 lagoons!!! The first lagoon we surveyed we were at a beach that was near a popular establishment called the boat shed. This lagoon probably had the greatest biodiversity […]

Tuesday with the Reef Team

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Today, the reef team surveyed two sites. At the first site, there were hardly any reefs. We then swam across a channel to a motu where there were two small reefs we were able to survey. This area was on the ocean side and not protected, so there was a heavy surge and was hard […]

Turbo Tuesday!

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wow! What a great day! Sandy Beach crew, Dorothy, Tevin and Guy got 4 sites done and found a ton of cool infauna! We found that where there is anoxic sediment an abundance of ‘yellow worms’ are present. It’s our first official correlation in Sandy Beach data! Very cool :-). We found 2 new species […]

London 2015

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It is crazy to think that I woke up in London yesterday, and now I am back home in Camarillo. The week went by way too fast! Everyday was an adventure and time well spent. Besides Windsor Castle, another favorite of mine was Hyde Park. Large is an understatement for the size of the park…it was huge! It would definitely take some time to be able to walk through the entire park. 
Beside the beauty of the park, I loved the many features of the park. You could rent a row or pedal boat and boat along the Serpentine River, rent bikes and bike around the whole park, rent park deck chairs and lounge for hours, and so much more. There is even a park dedicated for senior citizens and another park for young children. The park truly caters to people of all ages. 
One night, some of us rented bikes and biked around Hyde Park while the sun was about to set. The view was gorgeous and it was so much fun. I really wish we got the chance to rent a row boat and boat along the river but we just did not have enough time to do everything. If I were a London resident, I would probably be a daily regular at Hyde Park. The Princess Diana Memorial was also a highlight of the park. I love how you are aloud to put your feet in the water. 
This trip is definitely at the top of my list for favorite trips. I’m so glad that I got chosen and went. It was life changing and well worth the money. I will continue to encourage other students to apply for studying abroad programs if they ever get the chance. 
-Bri 

Windsor Castle 

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I have a genuine love for castles of all kind, so I was extremely excited to visit Windsor Castle on Saturday, August 1st. I was expecting an extravagant and glamorous castle and Windsor Castle is just that. When we finally got in after a long line, I didn’t know where to start. Since I did my building presentation on Windsor Castle, I was even more excited to see the different rooms I learned about. 

I paid extra money to be able to view and walk through the garden and it was well worth it. That was my favorite part of the castle just because it was so beautiful and peaceful. There were so many colorful flowers, some of which I’ve never seen before and various water falls and fountains. 

I also enjoyed seeing exactly where the fire of 1992 started and how the renovations took place. I had no idea how big the rooms were and how many there were for every occasion. I loved seeing St. George’s Hall even though it was not set up for a dinner event. 

I really wish I could of stayed longer at the castle because 2 hours was just not enough time. If I could, I would of stayed there all day and explore everything. There is even things to do outside of the castle with all the shops and restaurants around. But all around, I loved seeing Windsor Castle and would definitely go back if I ever got the chance again. 
-Bri 

Next Steps

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After having a successful trial of the bio-fluorescence sensor package for the ROV, we made some adjustments to the payload. We improved the balance and the lights and did three 50 meter zig-zag night transects into the patch reefs, and found a lot of fluorescence! The system and collaboration with Guy Trimy/PML has worked out just as planned!

The next step was to work on ways of minimizing interference from the ROV main lights. We covered the main lights with blue filter paper, and added yellow to the main camera, in attempt to see the fluorescence with the main camera, and using that to navigate toward the fluorescent corals.

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In addition to just proving we could find fluorescent corals, we set out to identify which specific species do. We sought out, marked, and characterized 8 sites during the day light outs, and then sent out our further modified ROV at night. Unfortunately we were met with a heavy tide, and the darkened main lights proved to make navigation to the sites nearly impossible. We removed the yellow filter from the main camera, but it was not good enough to properly navigate.

Unfortunately time is running short, and we have a lot of work to do. The equipment arrived late, broken, and the weather has taken a turn for the worse. There has been a storm moving in, which has made progress difficult. Tomorrow the team will split up, half will go to the Aitutaki lagoon via boat and do surveys of the reef, and the other will work on mapping until the evening. At dusk, the team will reunite and remark the coral sites with glow sticks, and go for another night dive!

What a Week!

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It is with an extremely heavy heart that I write this post. Why? This means that the trip is over and my time in London has come to an end. This has truly been the best week of my life and it is all thanks to those I shared it with.

What started out as a hopeful application into the class has turned into a week that has changed my life and allowed me to see things from a new perspective. I’m beyond grateful for this learning and living experience.

Who would have thought 15 strangers from CI and one of the Communication Program’s most loved professor could make this trip so memorable? I wish I could say that sadness is all I feel, but that would be a lie.

My heart is full- full of love from new friends, full of laughter and memories, and full of joy from this experience. I’ve made friends that are lifelong and memories that are forever cherished. Each and everyone of you has played a significant role in making this trip what it was. From Amanda being the best roommate and partner in crime, to Taylor being my King, to Bri’s peppermint oil, to Adriana’s selfie stick, and to Dr. J’s beautiful photography skills, this trip was made possible by the people in it.

I fell in love with London the second I stepped out. My appreciation for it grew exponentially when our local friends, Simon, Matt, and Ali showed us the city. London speaks to me in a way that no other city has….so much so to where I am seriously considering putting off my dream of being a soldier for a few years to get a Graduate Degree there (Dr. J, we will discuss this later)

From the bottom of my heart, I love you all and am so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend this past week with you in London. It was a once in a lifetime experience and I will never forget how amazing every second of it was. I look forward to seeing all of you soon!

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this possible. No words of gratitude could ever be enough to explain how much this trip means to me. Just know that you played a part in changing my life.

Cheers,

Jessy

Home, not so sweet, home. 

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Writing this emerging from a good 10 hours of sleep in my own bed I can’t help but feel sad. This trip was honestly life changing and I’m meaning this with full honesty. Sitting in Del Norte Hall for class lectures with Dr. Jenkins pouring tons of history and information in our heads before we left, I never felt that I would’ve had such a connection with this place when I got over here. This trip was completely amazing from arriving, everything in between and departing. Ever detail and fine memory I have with my classmates, friends and new London pals will never be short from the best moments of my life. From the buildings we walked past everyday and night, to the monuments we visited and fell in love with, to the food and drinks, everything was never short of fantastic. I can say that I’m coming back and soon possibly to live there for permanent. I was so immersed in the culture of the UK and London that I felt I became a resident. Navigating, Exploring and Adoring 

 are three words I can think of to best describe our trip. A week even though very short for me personally, especially since I fell in love with the place. Will now represent a small capsule of the memories I will forever hold in my heart. I would like to sincerely thank everyone that got us here from President Rush, everyone in the Intercultural Education Department and a huge thanks to Dr. J! Without you Dr. Jenkins we wouldn’t have been able to accomplish so much there and I am humbled and blessed by the experiences I’ve been able to capture over there.