15 Days

I can't believe how fast this summer is rolling by, in just about 2 weeks, I will be on a plane on my way to Peru. The culmination of all the work I've been doing this summer will lead to this, and now that it is so close I am ready to just hop on the plane and experience the Amazon. Even though I've been out of the country before, the only country that wasn't part of the third world that I visited was Northern Cyprus, however I was only there for a week with my family when i was 9 , they sheltered me from the sad state the country was and still currently is in. This time, I will experience everything first hand, without any censoring of what is going on in Peru. While Peru is mostly quite safe, regions of Lima are actually quite dangerous and have areas of rampant criminal activity. As long as I get back in one piece, I'm ready to experience it all.

30 Days

Today gave me a new outlook at what we will be facing in the Amazon during our stay there. The processing of each sample will be time consuming, but it is the most important step, as it will make or break our efforts in the forest. Doing all of the work in the lab gave me a deep appreciation for having a real lab bench to work at, I know it will not be the same in the middle of the Peruvian wilderness. We also have to be prepared for the unexpected, not even our AA batteries are guaranteed to work, as in the lab we had a mini-explosion and leaking battery acid all over our lab bench. But at the end of the day, our research depends on two things, the weather and our ability to locate the once-flourishing but now scarse Hevea (Rubber Tree). If it rains, we cannot collect samples, since the rain will only amplify our contamination. Worse comes to worst, we'll have to do another trip in the winter!

35 Days

We are getting closer to being ready for our trip, we have organized most of the supplies we will need in the field. On monday, we will be running practice trials of what we will be doing in the field in my backyard at home. That will give an interesting insight of what I will be doing in the Peruvian Rainforest. I still need to buy some gear, including my rubber boots, which I will be living in for a month. I guess all I can do now is continue working and becoming more familiar with the equipment in lab and wait for the coming trip which I am so excited and anxious for!