Day 50...and Almost Done

Wow...how did I get to this point? I can't believe I have reached this point. As I have been saying for awhile, there seemed to be a really long beginning, a very short middle, and the last few weeks have all felt like the end. Now, the days keep passing quicker and quicker.

I have had some mixed emotions about whether or not I will miss this place. I had initially imagined that I would meet people of all different ages from around the world, but most of my working day and evenings are spent with the other young American and Indian interns. I will definitely miss the girls here that I have gotten to know: Sona, Bhagyashree, and Aditi. I am happy to have had this experience at SEARCH, getting to learn about the organization, seeing the villages and the rural area, and living in a developing country. However, since we have not spent that much time in the villages interacting with the people who benefit from SEARCH, there is not much that is pulling at my heart strings. I think for the most part that I will be ready to leave at the end of this week.

This past Sunday, August 8th, I took some time to appreciate the campus and took a nice morning nature walk on my own. The photo above is from that walk.

Marie and Haley left this past Sunday and Rushina and I will be next. Kelley, another student from UNC, just arrived this past Thursday. People come and go so often at SEARCH, and each time the dynamic changes. It seems so long ago that Miriam, Kate, Brenna, and Amy were here.

I know I have written very very little about the research internship aspect of my time here but there are several explanations. First, the work that I do here is technical and statistical based. I sit at a computer and run data analysis programs. I occasionally make a chart or a table and meet with a staff member to ask a question. I haven't reached many major conclusions yet about the association between smokeless tobacco consumption and preterm birth and low birth weight. Second, we are not out in the field directly interacting with people. We are not clinicians and we are not making any direct changes. We are doing research. This is the nature of being an epidemiologist in public health. Finally, there have been a lot of organizational issues that I can discuss in another forum that have made progress on projects difficult, not just for me, but for all the interns.

As I get closer to getting home, I am thinking more and more about the things that I miss. I cannot wait to take a shower where I get to actually stand under the water. In fact, I can't wait to be in a comfortable bathroom with rugs beneath my feet and counters that are not filled with bugs and moths! Also, new addition to the lineup, I saw a rat in the bathroom last night.

I am getting really excited about the new school year, and have started to think about my class schedule and work schedule and I've done some planning for a grant writing course I will be taking.

I am looking forward to wearing whatever I want, and having a blessed laundry machine that cleans the stink and dirt out of my clothes. And my poor poor personal items. They are all getting wiped down with massive amounts of clorox wipes.

I cannot wait to see Ben! I am looking forward to sharing our apartment together and cooking together and just lounging on the couch together! I haven't sat on a couch since I left the states! And tv...tv...I miss you so much.

I am looking forward to wedding planning and all the family trips and visits that will be required this Fall! I am getting excited about wedding dress shopping!

And most of all...what I have been dreaming about more than anything...is the big Italian dinner I am having as soon as I touch down in Chapel Hill!