St. Andrews here I come!

So.. I just added myself to the IRES blog, immediately started looking around, and got really excited! I am really looking forward to posting about my adventures, and hearing about everyone elses! I decided I will probably be checking this blog way to much. It might turn into my new facebook haha. It also made me realize how soon we all are leaving! To be honest, I am still a little bit nervous about going to a new country where I will not know many people, but I have only been reassured. While meeting with my PI last week, someone who he is friends with from another lab came into his office and when he saw me there he immediately asked me about Scotland, expressed he was just there, and started telling me about it. Furthermore, at the NBB research fair, my friend came up to me and we started taking about St. Andrews. I expressed to her that I was nervous I wasn't going to know anyone. Since she went abroad to the University, she said don't worry Keith (my PI abroad) is so relaxed, warm, and friendly. I had the chance to meet him when he came to Emory and got that impression as well. Additionally, I have also heard from multiple people that his lab is really fun. Hopefully they will invite me out! In addition, she mentioned she would see if any of her friends would be there this summer. She also told me how cool the buildings are at St. Andrews, " they are just like in Harry Potter, there are all these secret hallways and random stairwells. The room where the frogs are kept is by one of the stairwells and just looks like a closet, but then you open it up and it's this huge room of frogs!" Finally, she told me that she would be going to do research there next year, and wants to stay in the building I will be rooming in. She told me it was in a great location. Since I will be living is a dorm like building, I hope to make friends with others who are living there as well. In addition, in many of our IRES meetings faculty have only expressed how great St. Andrews is. These and other cumulative experiences have only encouraged me. My family and friends will also be visiting me which I am excited about! I will also probably be traveling down to England one or two weekends to visit my friends who are studying abroad there, and might end up traveling elsewhere other weekends to visit friends. I have realized that once I get there, get all settled in, and get into the swing of things I will really love it. I just might decide to work there again after I graduate! Finally, not only am I excited about going out, meeting people, and exploring a part of Europe I would have not otherwise have been exposed to, but I am also excited about the science! My lab went out to lunch this week. During lunch, they were asking me about my life and plans this summer. During our conversation, my PI said to me "so do you have a break before you're off to Scotland?" I replied that I would be studying for my MCAT until the end of May, but my birthday was in the beginning of June before I leave. He replied "do you ever take a break to relax - you have such a great work ethic." My response was well I am going abroad this summer. He gave me a look expressing the fact that I would be working. So my response was, "well I know I'll be working." I realized that I don't really consider working in a lab "work." I really do love the science.. yes I'm a nerd too haha. This is especially true if you work in a lab where you just really enjoy the people you are working with. I believe this will be the case this summer, especially because of all the things I have heard, and the fact that St. Andrews is known for their neuroscience program which Keith helped to develop. The lab I will be working in is fairly small, and I recognize that my PI will be there and remain involved like my lab here at Emory. Although, I will (hopefully) working on secondary applications for med school during my time there. Ok, so I've started rambling, so I am going to stop haha. I didn't realize how easy it would be to post! looking forward to this summer! more to come...