Waste No Time have No Regrets

I know two years sounds like a long time, but in my experience you must make the effort if you want to see the sites a location has to offer. Therefore, I wasted no time in getting out and about Grahamstown. To backtrack just slightly I'll say the trip here went as smoothly as it possibly could have. No luggage issues, no major delays, and all in all it was a great trip for the potential millions of things that could have gone wrong. A friend of friends, named Nick, picked me up at the airport in Port Elizabeth and was an excellent "guide" on my first trip into Grahamstown. He pointed out several elephants, a herd of zebra, and some kind of buck (water buck?). So I knew I was in the right place and that the stories of the biodiverse and mega charismatic wildlife were true. We also stopped by a little roadside market where I bought my first houseplant, a cactus. This turned out to be very ironic as I am here to study biological control and all species of cacti are invasive to South Africa.


We carried on and I quickly made it to my new digs. I only spent about two hours unpacking and showering before Nick came back to get me. It was a Saturday night after all so we went out for dinner at the local watering hole, The Rat and Parrot. Contrary to the name this is not a pirate themed bar. The rat is because of Rhodes University, and the parrot I assume is because South Africa has parrots? Anyway, we stayed out a bit late in hopes that I would sleep through the jet lag. It sort of worked, but I had a couple nights of waking up at one or two am after that, and finally was on the "right" time after three or four nights. My new home is a garden cottage or mother-in-law suite in the yard of a very kind family of four. It includes a beautiful garden, two cute kids, and two doggies whom have since kept me occasional company. The situation is very nice and I feel as though I have been adopted by another African family.

Check out my Instagram or Facebook 'Entomology Emily' for photos of the garden and the doggos. The only thing similar to Senegal so far is that there are cows and donkeys in the street. this makes me so happy as for whatever reason I have always loved donkeys. They are such sweet creatures and while I hate to see them struggling behind heavily laden carts, I do enjoy a nice occasional braying. In contrast to Senegal I have plumbing and clean water as well as electricity. Most of the time. There is actually a drought going on here now so everyone is being very careful to use water wisely. At our house we are using buckets to catch our shower water and then using that water to flush the toilet or water the garden.

I spent the first few days collecting the necessities from the store. I wasn't sure at first but I have found I can get everything I need here and many things I want. There is even a mode of online delivery akin to Amazon. Since I have now had two weekends since I arrived I also took the time to see the sites of Grahamstown. This could be done in a day, maximum two days. It's a small town. The highlights for me were the Botanical Gardens. There are about a hundred, literally, churches and a couple cathedrals here as well as some monuments to history.

Elizabeth Salt Monument

St. Michael and St. George Catherdral

Bunya Pine in the Botanical Garden

I did all this in a day, but there are a few things I have missed. I haven't yet been to the Albany museum or the Featherstone Brewery. Maybe those will be for this weekend as there is some rain in the forecast. It has been warm and sunny most days since my arrival. We have had one day of rain and one day that was rather cool. The evening temperatures drop drastically from the day. It can be in the 80s during the days and the 50s at night (30s to teens in C). I fear my ability to tolerate winter. I will have to adapt though!

This is serious but was also a bit humorous

Stairway in the Botanical Gardens.
I could definitely spend some more time here.

A Journey Begins with One Step

.......and is followed by another 24+ hours of planes, trains, and automobiles. This is the plan for my next big adventure. Destination: Grahamstown, South Africa.

I will be heading back to Africa tomorrow and will stay for two years working with the Centre for Biological Control at Rhodes University. I am looking forward to my new position and the new culture and scenery that will accompany it. As far as culture, I am excited for the food, new languages, and interactions with people. Of course, I will not be able to help myself from comparing it all to Senegal. I am also thrilled to see all of the wildlife including many plants and animals I've never seen in their native environment, such as zebras, elephants, lions, and so many more! My work will focus on utilizing insects and my knowledge of host plant resistance to sustainably manage invasive aquatic weeds such as water hyacinth and giant salivinia. I can't wait to learn about so many new plants and animals.

Saying goodbye to Kiki was especially hard.
Though I'm not sure she'll be missing me!

There have already been a few aspects of the moving process that have been a bit challenging. Saying goodbye to all my friends and family was and continues to be difficult. I will miss all the friends I made in Louisiana and my family. I might literally die a little without Kiki. Even though I have said my farewells before this part never gets easier, and I'm already looking forward to visits home. The easy part? Saying goodbye to being a graduate student! I will get paid a living wage, be treated as a peer scientist, and I genuinely believe I will have an all around better quality of life. I'm not 100% sure I will stay in academia, but if I do, I hope that my experiences as a graduate student will translate to my being an advocate for my future students. Upon my return I should be competitive for a wide range of positions both in and out of academia.

The visa process was just as difficult and anxiety inducing as everyone has indicated it would be. I am so privileged to have a US passport and will not be taking for granted the ability to travel to 166 countries without a visa ever again. I only got the visa about 72 hours before I left Baton Rouge and that was after about six weeks of effort, including a trip to Chicago, and about $700 in associated fees. Can you imagine how difficult it is for people trying to come to the US to get this done?

My beloved BB8 suitcase that is HUGE!

Apart from acquiring my visa and saying my farewells, packing proved to be a challenge as well. As opposed to other trips I have taken this is for an extended period in a locale with a varying climate. How does one pack for two years of alternating summer and winter? Stuff two suitcases and hope for the best was my past mantra! However, I have learned that this method leaves something to be wanted...many things actually. So I decided to take the time to plan out my needs and decide what was important to me. The first thing I did was to shed anything that was broken, unused for an extended period, or just a little ridiculous (Under the last category fell things like three pounds of Mardi Gras beads). I next decided what do I really love/need. I have been collecting some quality outdoor gear over the last few years and to me this stuff was top of the list, especially considering where I'm going. The tent, sleeping bag, chacos, and clothes for outdoors were the first things on the list of needs. Next, I realized I needed my tech. I can't imagine moving without my laptop, camera, and kindle. Then I decided I would like to also look like a professional adult. So in went many of my "professional" clothes (aka things without holes and stains that also look like they were bought for a person my size). Finally, I decided there was enough room for a few items to personalize my new digs. It turns out that is all I can fit into two suitcases and a carry-on. I couldn't fit much along the lines of winter clothes as they are so bulky and I suppose I may live to regret that, or I'll adapt and become more cold tolerant than ever! ......Well, I can always have some of that stuff shipped over right?!

I know some other challenges await when I arrive. Finding furniture, a place to grocery shop, routes to run, and most daunting learning how to drive on the left hand side of the road. I'm not sure if or when I'll take on that last one. I will likely have to drive for work so it may be sooner than I think. I hope I will stick to my goals of updating this every two weeks and I hope you will enjoy my journey with me.

Can't wait until these ladies join me in SA!