#2. All preparations are done and I am off to Mauritius!

I am finally heading to Mauritius after a month and a half of preparing for my research expedition! Over the last month and a half I have worked closely with my PhD advisor and thesis committee to plan for this research expedition. First, we developed questions and hypotheses about the transect I will be going on in the Indian Ocean based on existing data from that region and previous work I have done in our lab. Next, we determined sampling and experimental plans that would allow us to address and try to answer these questions. Once the plans were made, we began the long and grueling process of cleaning hundreds of collection and sampling bottles, gathering and ordering any supplies that we needed, and packing everything up into boxes. This process took a lot of work and led to many late nights in the lab to make sure everything was prepared on time. When we were two weeks out from my departure for the research expedition, we shipped all of the gear that was ready to the port in Mauritius where the research vessel will be docked. Any remaining gear or supplies that I needed on the cruise would travel with me to Mauritius. On top of all of this, I also packed my own clothes and any personal belongings that I would need or want while living on the R/V Isabu for 28 days.

It felt like the planning aspect would never end, but I have finally begun my travel for the research expedition! I am currently halfway through the transit to my destination. I took an overnight flight to Paris, France and I am waiting in the airport for a few hours until I catch my second overnight flight to Mauritius. Once in Mauritius, I will need to find the gear that I sent ahead of time and get everything onto the research vessel. Overall, this has been a very intense month and a half of getting everything put together for this research expedition. I am very grateful to everyone who helped me out, from washing bottles to developing my science plans, and I am ready to finally be in Mauritius!

A sunset view from my window during my flight from Miami to Paris.

The photos above include a view of the sunset from my window during my flight from Miami to Paris and the plane that I was on for that flight.