Overview

Here is my first post, and I want to tell everyone about my plans while I'm in Chile:

January - March I will be participating in the Research Experience for Undergrads (REU) program, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF). Six American students and two Chilean students will do astronomy research for ten weeks at the Cerro-Tololo Interamerican Observatory (CTIO), a division of the National Optical Astronomy Observatories (NOAO) in La Serena. I know, there are lots of acronyms. For more information, you can google all of this. My favorite pre-departure experience has been looking at La Serena/Coquimbo region on Google Maps!! FYI, La Serena is a coastal town located about 300 miles north of Santiago. The observatory is about 40 miles east of La Serena, in the Andes mountains. We'll do most of our research with scientists in La Serena, but also have the opportunity to work at the observatory. By the way, my current astronomy knowledge is limited to a few constellations, Sky and Telescope magazine, and interesting conversations with my uncle who builds telescopes. And, I always wish on a shooting star when I see one!! Hopefully, I'll learn much more while I'm in Chile, engulfed in the vast Southern Hemisphere sky.

March - July I'll attend classes at the University of La Serena, and hopefully continue physics research at CTIO or elsewhere. During this time I'll immerse myself in the Chilean culture, all in spanish. I've taken 5 semesters of spanish classes at Middlebury, so I currently know enough spanish to get by, and fumble through necessary conversations. I'll keep you posted on the funny mis-haps I talk my way into, and hopefully out of!!

La Serena sounds wonderful - a beach town, bordered by the mountains. I will experience part of the Chilean summer, fall, and the beginning of the winter during my stay. It should all be nice, as the weather in La Serena is compared to that of San Diego. Also, I think that La Serena is very walk-able, and also the bus system in Chile is accessible, so I hope to travel some and explore the area. This is my first time traveling to South America!!

I hope this provides an adequate summary of my semester. I'll keep you posted. This blog and my Midd email may be my main forms of contact, particularly english contact, while I'm away. Keep in touch, and I hope 2008 brings you and me plenty of adventures!!