Back in black

Coming home from an expedition is always hard. It feels like you've been on another planet, or that your whole time at sea was just a really good dream. The people you've spent every waking minute with for a whole month are suddenly gone. It helps if you have a few days to decompress before settling back into normal life. 

Unfortunately, I did not have a few days. I went straight from Tromsø, Norway to my home in Massachusetts, slept, and went to work the next day. I had important things to attend to. 

Two of the pluteus larvae that Hollis found

Important things - like my intern, Hollis. The last time I saw him, he had blue hair, but it was black when he arrived in the lab this time. He had some new life updates to share with me, and I was very excited to listen. Admittedly, conversations with Hollis sometimes involve me learning new vocabulary so I can keep up with the ever-evolving modern lingo. Hollis also peppered me with questions about my Arctic trip - larvae, polar bears, and all. I happily shared my experiences at sea. 

When we settled in at the microscopes, it was just like always. I gave Hollis a dish of larvae to sort, and he found 5 pluteus larvae within about 20 minutes. Honestly, he astounds me. Hollis has more focus and natural talent for marine ecology than any other student his age. 

I am very glad to be reconnected to my lab group. Welcome home to me!