First Day:)

I am the biggest homebody in the world. That is probably my biggest obstacle as someone who loves to travel and meet new interesting people. Since I'm still fairly young, I've never had the experience of being responsible for myself in an airport or walking around a town at night, or checking into a hotel room before. It's definitely something to adjust to, and I already feel much more comfortable. At first I was worried that I would spend my trip wanting to go home, but the minute I got in the water that feeling went away.

We arrived on the island yesterday morning after a choppy boat ride that left me feeling like I had just worked out all day. I was completely in awe of the beautiful, clear water and the abundance of trees and greenery. It's so different from the loud, busy, cities I have visited before- and to be honest I much prefer how surrounded by nature I am.

I couldn't wait to get into my dive skin and start exploring possible research topics as soon as we stepped off the boat onto the dock (where I spend a lot of my time just looking out at the crystal blue water). I've had plenty of time so far to look at the incredible biodiversity in the water and around the coral, and luckily I haven't seen a ton of coral bleaching (always a pleasant surprise). I am very interested in the relationship between parrotfish and corals, and I'm hoping to be able to study this during my time here (there are many parrotfish further off shore).

So far I am enjoying myself a lot, learning new, challenging things, and becoming more independent. I can't wait to see what else this trip has to offer.