UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH BLOGS
The Office of Undergraduate Research sponsors a number of grant programs, including the Circumnavigator Club Foundation’s Around-the-World Study Grant and the Undergraduate Research Grant. Some of the students on these grants end up traveling and having a variety of amazing experiences. We wanted to give some of them the opportunity to share these experiences with the broader public. It is our hope that this opportunity to blog will deepen the experiences for these students by giving them a forum for reflection; we also hope these blogs can help open the eyes of others to those reflections/experiences as well. Through these blogs, perhaps we all can enjoy the ride as much as they will.
EXPLORE THE BLOGS
- Linguistic Sketchbook
- Birth Control Bans to Contraceptive Care
- A Global Song: Chris LaMountain’s Circumnavigator’s Blog
- Alex Robins’ 2006 Circumnavigator’s Blog
- American Sexual Assault in a Global Context
- Beyond Pro-GMO and Anti-GMO
- Chris Ahern’s 2007 Circumnavigator’s Blog
- Digital Citizen
- From Local Farms to Urban Tables
- Harris Sockel’s Circumnavigator’s Blog 2008
- Kimani Isaac: Adventures Abroad and At Home
- Sarah Rose Graber’s 2004 Circumnavigator’s Blog
- The El Sistema Expedition
- The World is a Book: A Page in Rwand
Rachel Kwon
Rachel Kwon
URAP
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
This year, I spent my time working as a research assistant at the Shirley Ryan Affective and Emotion Rehabilitation Lab. Throughout the duration of my URAP program, I engaged in qualitative research with an ongoing project in the lab that focused on developing an EMA (ecological momentary analysis) to act as a better measure of depression for PWAs (People with Aphasia). Under the mentorship of my PI and lab manager, I used the qualitative data analysis software–Dedoose– to qualitatively code transcripts that were created from focus groups of PWAs and their care partners. In addition, I learned how to conduct thematic analysis by finding deeper connections between the established codes to develop intricate themes in relation to the research question. I plan on using these skills that I have developed in my next, independent project over the summer that will focus on the mental health challenges associated with aphasia for PWAs and their care partners.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
The fact that this project focused on highlighting the voices of PWAs–an underrepresented (yet one of the most important) groups– that were affected by post-stroke depression contributes to why it is personally important to me. Over the summer of 2022, I conducted a literature review on racial trauma in adolescents, and I discovered it was often overlooked by clinical psychologists because it was an uncomfortable matter and also because racial trauma is difficult to “measure” using traditional data collection methods. Thus, this study stood out to me because of its goal to develop an “aphasia-friendly” EMA. I strongly believe that it is highly important to innovate new ways of data collection that can call attention to once-unrepresented groups in the medical field.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
Research has always been something that I have always wanted to pursue. It gives the researcher the ability to directly learn more about a topic that they are interested in. I love how in research, the researcher is given a sense of creativity as they are in charge of designing their own project. Each decision that a researcher makes about their methodology is purposeful, and there are so many different ways to examine the same set of data by using an array of different research methods. I find the ability to hand-craft a project that revolves around issues that are really important to the researcher a characteristic that is unique to research.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
When I first started the URAP program; I was incredibly nervous. I was worried that I would not be able to meet the expectations of others that had already been working in the lab. In the beginning, I felt intimidated and unsure whether I could actually “do research”. However, I quickly learned that the people who you work with in the lab are very supportive and do not expect you to know everything. I have learned how to reach out when I have questions, and I learned that in the research environment questions are always encouraged.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
A tip that I would have is to find something that genuinely interests you. In order to engage in meaningful research, you have to connect to the data you are working with. This involves spending long periods of time engaging with the data, so you should choose projects that you actually want to learn more about. Also, always reach out and try for any opportunity to engage in research no matter how underqualified you feel you are. Passion and a strong work ethic always beats out “strong qualifications”.
Aimee Resnick
Aimee Resnick
URAP
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
We will conducted in-depth qualitative interviews with a subset high school students at “Franklin High” (a pseudonym) who have missed more than 20% of school days about their personal experiences, challenges, and perceptions related to absenteeism. A distinguishing feature of the proposed project is its focus on discerning, through the lens of students, the aspects of the school setting that might promote absenteeism. The interviews allowed us to investigate the intersections of racial identity, gender, sexuality, and their potential influences on truancy. By collecting qualitative data and collaborating with the school district on potential solutions, this project aimed to shed light on the school-level factors and experiences that make skipping school seem preferable to attend for some students.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I had a really hard time in high school due to bullying. I was prone to hiding in the bathrooms during lunch. I feel very empathetic for the students we interviewed and hope to help make high school a better place for others.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I find people very interesting, To be honest, I think it is just my tendency to by nosy.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
I learned how to build probing questions, foster empathetic relationships with participants, and draw meaningful themes from interview data. The hardest thing for me was learning DeDoose. I also got yelled at several times in the high school for loitering in the halls (they thought I was a student). haha!
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
find a strong faculty mentor. Professor Ispa-Landa and I are a good team. This helps move the research forward in ways that are exciting for both of us.
If your (speaking) voice were an instrument, what do you think it would be?
a squeaky toy
Yao Xiao
Yao Xiao
AYURG
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
My study explores the possibility of training students’ analogical ability to improve their STEM thinking. We created a type of scaffolding templates to help students become better at analyzing scientific analogies.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
As a student studying Psychology and Math, I am always interested in the cognitive processes underlying STEM thinking. On the other hand, analogical thinking is a crucial aspect of higher-order thinking I have been curious about. And the connection between these two areas is invaluable to research to improve STEM education. Therefore, I became interested in starting my current research project.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
I have very broad interests, so whenever I have a chance to study the connection between different areas I am interested in, I get very excited. Doing Psychology research has provided me with plenty of such opportunities. I also believe interdisciplinary research especially has great potential to spark creative ideas and provide inspiration for critical issues in today’s world.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
It was not easy (especially with grad school applications and senior burnout)! Also, we failed to find significant results in this version of the study. However, I learned a lot on how to design a rigorous psychology experiment and how to learn from failures in research.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Research is always a long, long journey, whether we are talking about conducting a single research project or becoming a researcher in the long term. So the achievements or failures at present are all just a small part of this long journey. What really matters is to keep going with curiosity and passion.
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
Figure skating and manicure!
Regina Fernandez
Regina Fernandez
Conference Travel Grant
Please provide the tile and a brief summary of your research/conference presentation.
Title: Development of a Cell-Free System for Producing Vaccines Against S. pneumoniae Summary: We developed a cell-free system for producing glycoconjugate vaccines against S. pneumoniae by enzyme engineering and strain optimizing.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I am extremely interested in the research and development of biotechnologies that can impact people’s health. Professor Michael Jewett’s lab implements interesting and novel technologies within the field of Synthetic Biology. I wanted to learn more about it and gain those tools, so I was extremely grateful for the opportunity in the vaccine project.
What conference(s) did you present at and how did you find out about them?
I presented at the AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers) national conference in Orlando. I heard about it when I was a junior (last year) from other older chemical engineering students at Northwestern.
What was it like presenting at a conference? Anything that you didn’t expect?
It was an awesome experience! I really liked how the judges ask you questions and challenge your research making you have to think on your feet. I also enjoyed getting the opportunity to meet faculty and students from other institutions and learn about their research.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in presenting at a conference one day?
Go for it! Talk to your PI and the grad student you are working with that you want to present. You are not in this alone! They will help you put a poster or powerpoint together and prepare. Also, practice many times before. You probably know your research very well, but it is important to make sure you can present it to people from diverse backgrounds that may know very little about your field.
Mackenzie Lanning
Mackenzie Lanning
URAP
Please provide a brief summary of your research.
Our lab is researching more sustainable alternatives to traditional plastic coating found on paper products. The current coating commonly found on these products contain PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals” that are harmful to both the environment and human heath. Professor Nguyen has developed a coating that uses graphene oxide (GO), a substance derived from natural components, as a biodegradable alternative. Through URAP, I conducted macroscopic testing on various paper products coated with different concentrations of GO and a water-based barrier coating. These tests allowed us to form different hypotheses and collect valuable data to further our research. I have also been lucky enough to work with two other undergraduates, Meredith and Stella, who have researched different elements of GO and taught me the value of working as a team on research projects.
What made you initially interested in researching your project in particular?
I have always been interested in sustainability and finding solutions to current climate issues. When I discovered Professor Nguyen’s URAP position, I knew it would be a great opportunity to build foundational research skills while also exploring a topic I’m interested in.
What made you interested in pursuing (interdisciplinary) research more broadly?
Since I was younger, have been passionate about scientific research, especially pertaining to the environment. I would like to get my doctorate in the future and want to gain experience researching with a talented mentor at Northwestern.
Describe your experiences with research thus far. Was it tricky? What skills do you think you’ve gained?
Initially, research and intense data analysis was difficult, but with the help of my mentor and peers, I was able to overcome different challenges and become more confident in my research abilities.
Any tips or advice you have for students similar to you that are interested in pursuing undergraduate research?
Take chances and apply to as many things as you can! Take advantage of the Office of Undergraduate Research and form close relationships with your professors!
What would you name a boat if you had one?
Lil Yachty
What is something that you could give a 10 min presentation on right off the cuff?
The Kentucky Derby
Brasilia, Berkeley (California): at last, around the world!
I’m currently in my hotel room, sitting in a bed for the last time before I return home. The next time I experience this comfort, it will be in my childhood bedroom in Berkeley, California, a place I know better than anywhere in the world. And yet, the idea of traveling for 24 more hours and ending up somewhere I’ve been before — not to some foreign city in some foreign country halfway across the globe — feels novel, even uncomfortable. I have to admit, there is a part of me that is incredibly excited to crash in my own bed and hibernate for several days, eating only comfort foods and talking only to my loved ones. And yet, I already long for another adventure and more of the joy and growth I’ve experienced this summer. I guess this is what they mean by the “travel bug.” Consider me bitten!
This week in Brasilia has been both productive and restful. Monday and Tuesday were loaded with interviews, which all went better than I could have hoped! Brazil recently passed a new integrated fire management policy that centers indigenous, traditional, and local knowledges — very progressive compared to the other countries I’ve been to this summer — and several of my interviewees happened to have worked on research projects that piloted the program. I also talked to state firefighters, who offered a very different perspective than other first responders I’ve connected with. I wrote in the last post about how kind everyone I’ve met here has been, and these participants were no exception. On Tuesday, I had two interviews scheduled three hours apart, and I was almost late because of how well our conversation was going and how hospitable everyone was.

A map of Brasilia from above. Kind of a weirdly-shaped airplane if you ask me.
Between interviews, I made time to visit the Santuário São João Bosco, one of many famous churches in Brasilia. This was one of many stops on my architecture tour through the city, which took me the rest of the week to complete. Brasilia is famous for its very unusual design and the history that accompanies it: the city was built in less than five years and designed primarily by three architects after the national government decided to relocate its headquarters from Rio de Janeiro in 1956. Brasilia is shaped like an airplane, with most notable buildings along the body and residential and shopping areas along the wings. I don’t know much about architecture, but I have to admit, the national cathedral, museums, and congress buildings were pretty mesmerizing to look at. Unfortunately, most museums were closed ahead of Independence Day on September 7, but the views from the outside were honestly just as fun to look at.
- The Cathedral of Brasília.
- The Museu Nacional da República, which is just across the street.
My favorite excursion of the week was to Brasilia National Park. While just outside of the city, it is the largest park in an urban area in the world (at least according to Wikipedia). There are dozens of miles of hiking along pristine rivers and woodlands, and you can see wildcats, capybaras, and even giant anteaters if you’re lucky. Unfortunately, almost all of the trails were also closed. But I was able to visit a crystal-clear watering hole fed by the river — and see the monkeys playing around it! They seemed to be very accustomed to all the visitors crowding their native habitat, as they would run up to unsuspecting sunbathers to steal bits of food. Still, seeing them playing around in the trees was unbelievably cool. Wildlife sightings have been a surprising highlight of this trip, and I’m so glad I was able to end the journey on such a high note!

The pool at Brasilia National Park. Pretty busy for a random Wednesday!
I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention all the Brazilian food I ate here. You can’t sit by the pool without treating yourself to some traditional street-side açaí, of course, smothered in condensed milk, peanuts, and many other delicious toppings I couldn’t tell you the names of. According to the people I’ve met here, Brazilians like to eat a big lunch, which means most of the restaurants serve a midday buffet that you pay for by the kilogram. Mashed and candied cassava, too many kinds of beans to count, buttery farofa (a kind of dried cassava grain) mixed with vegetables or meats, and salads doused in punchy lime dressings. What more could you ask for! My hottest take is that carne de sol, which is beef that is sun-dried before it’s roasted, is much better than Argentinian asado. But don’t tell them I said that!
- Carne de sol, cassava, beans, and farofa — a classic plate of Northeastern Brazilian cuisine.
- Nothing beats açaí topped with fresh strawberries.
After checking out of my hotel room on my final morning, I felt a little unsure of what to do: how do you pass the time on a day that feels as significant as this one? After storing my luggage, I ended up going to two more of Brazil’s vast parks. First, I went to Parque Olhos de Agua, where I sunbathed on the bank of a bright blue lagoon and tried my hand at bird watching — not a whole lot of luck, but I did find a Brazilian version of geese (??) that were black white poca dots all over them. Next, I went to Capybara Park (in hopes of finding some capybaras, duh), but was treated instead to a beautiful view of the city. Smoke from a nearby wildfire filled the sky over the course of the afternoon, casting that characteristic golden-hour glaze over the water, the coconut trees and rocks by the beach, and Brasilia’s skyline. It felt like a fitting — or maybe ironic — way to say goodbye to this trip. Still, the peace allowed me some time to reflect on how far I’ve come over the past 12 weeks, both literally and figuratively.

My final sunset in Brazil.
One of my biggest worries before embarking on this trip was that I would feel like I took it all for granted. 12 weeks is a long time, and yet, it flew by even faster than everyone warned me it would. What if I felt like I’d wasted my days? What if I took my rest time a little too seriously? What if my fieldwork hadn’t been as fruitful as I’d hoped it would be?
There were days this summer that I thought this worry would be true. Some days when I was eager to explore but could barely find the energy to walk around for more than an hour, days my interviews fell through or fell flat, and days when I felt overwhelmed by all the learning curves I was struggling to overcome. And yet, on my final night, I knew it couldn’t be any more false.
This summer, I hiked in the Andes mountains, the Australian coastline, and the Panamanian rainforest (thank you layovers!). I swam in the Aegean Sea and the waterfalls of the Brazilian savannah; I biked on a Greek island and the Portuguese coast. I ate souvlaki in Athens, gelato in Rome, fresh fish and wine in Porto, fufu and goat stew in Kumasi, asado in Buenos Aires, and açaí in Brasilia. I saw monkeys, sloths, flamingos, parrots, bats, kangaroos, and so, so many cool lizards, all with my very own eyes! I made it through a Greek summer, a Patagonia winter, a Ghanaian wet season, and a Brazilian dry season. I talked to some of the most inspiring people I have ever met — heard stories of community care, of building climate resiliency, of unwavering love for one’s home no matter the adversity. I relied on the kindness of strangers, and I made it out the other side!
After 13 flights, four long-haul buses, a handful of trotros, and too many train rides to count, I’m on my way home. Before I left, I made a list of all the ways I wanted to grow this summer — I now know this was a fool’s errand, because as much as I did grow, it was in ways I never could have predicted. I have learned a new way of existing in the world that’s defined by an unwavering trust in myself, a self-confidence completely beyond what I’ve ever known that phrase to mean. My heart is bursting with pride and gratitude for the forces that made this all happen: the strangers I met along the way who were inexplicably on my side when I needed it most, my mentors who have guided me through it all, and my loved ones who pushed me to make it happen. Many of those people are probably reading this blog post now, and I hope they know that thank yous will never quite be enough. Instead, I am determined to keep living in and building upon the lessons I have learned. And hopefully, do all this research justice!
Thanks for sticking all the way through these blog posts. But if you’ve gotten this far, it means I am officially … a circumnavigator!

My final picture with the Circumnavigators Club flag!
Brasilia, Alto Paraíso de Goias: no alien sightings (yet)
Hello from Brazil!
After over ten weeks of travel, I’ve made it to my final destination. You’d think it would get easier to process after all this time, but I find myself absolutely shocked by how fast the time has flown by. Just as with Argentina, arriving in Brasilia brought a slurry of mixed emotions: the curiosity that accompanies being in a new place, the nervous excitement of completing my final travel day, and the slight melancholy of remembering this journey will be over so soon. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to go home and see my friends and family. But still, how could I want this summer to end? The only cure for this kind of premature nostalgia is making the most of the time that I do have here. And what better place to explore than Brazil?
Before my trip, people warned me that I’d find Brasilia boring. An inland city designed solely to serve as the federal capital, it doesn’t share the glamorous beaches or tourist appeal of Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. Luckily, those people were wrong! Brasilia is certainly not boring, but it is a little — odd. The neighborhood I’m staying in is almost entirely skyscraper-size hotel complexes, and every restaurant within walking distance is inside a mall the size of a city block. The biggest downside is that because the city was designed primarily for cars, as they were seen as the “transportation of the future” back when it was built, Brasilia has a reputation for being one of the least walkable cities in the world. But besides that, the city center is filled with unique architecture, museums, and great food. Even without a dramatic skyline, these sunsets are some of the most beautiful I have ever seen!

The sunset, captured through my car window. Pretty spectacular!
I didn’t have much time to get used to Brasilia when I first arrived. After my first couple of days here, I took a bus up to Alto Paraíso de Goias, the entry point to Chapadas dos Veadeiros National Park. I had originally planned this outing because of an interview, and while that contact unfortunately fell through, my excursion did allow me to get in touch with other experts and have several informal conversations with other visitors in the park. Alto Paraíso de Goias is a kind of Brazilian Area 51. From what I read online, some believe the area lies atop huge slabs of quartz that channel extraterrestrial energy, and others cite the fact that it lies on Parallel 14, which is said to create a supernatural underground passageway to Machu Picchu. I don’t buy either story, but there have been a number of reported UFO sightings here, so who am I to say? All I know is that the alien signs and knickknacks were all very charming.
- Luckily, there weren’t a whole lot of cows for the aliens to abduct.
- Who knew UFOs shot rainbow beams when they abducted you!
- Funky alien statues were a dime a dozen at local tourist shops.
Chapadas dos Veadeiros is at the heart of the Brazilian cerrado, the tropical savanna biome known for its rich biodiversity. The park itself is known as having some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the country and is home to crystal clear water holes, dramatic canyons, and wildlife such as pampas deer, maned wolves, tapirs, giant armadillos, and capybaras. I didn’t see many of those animals, unfortunately, but was lucky enough to hike under skies filled with toucans and bright blue macaws. I’m visiting during peak dry season, which means it’s too hot to hike for more than a couple miles and the roads are constantly filled with clouds of red dirt. This weather made dips in the rivers all the more refreshing! Peak dry season also means peak fire season, of course, and the Cerrado is one of those places where burns almost never stop during this time of year. My time exploring Chapadas dos Veadeiros gave me a stronger, more intimate understanding of the ecosystem — this knowledge would prove invaluable for my interviews later in the week.

Imagine swimming in that water after a steep hike in 95 degree heat!

Views of Chapada dos Veadeiros.
My excursion also helped me engage in more non-expert conversations about fire, another practice that has been incredibly useful in my research. As I wrote in my last post, I was able to strike up informal conversations several times a day in Argentina, as locals were eager to chat and I was eager to listen. This has proved a lot more difficult in Brazil, almost no one speaks English and my Portuguese comes out somewhere between Spanglish and Portuñol (a colloquial mix between Portuguese and Spanish). I was warned that English speakers would be exceedingly rare here, and tried my best to get the basics down before I arrived, but alas, Duolingo failed me. Still, it is pretty astounding how kind everyone is even though I don’t speak their language. Every single person I’ve met has been eager to offer advice, cracked jokes with me over my misunderstandings, and valiantly returned my attempts at body-language communication. When trying to ask a bus driver about the schedules at Chapadas dos Veadeiros, I came across a young couple eager to practice their English and ended up hiking and grabbing lunch with them. We talked about the NFL, my favorite Brazilian foods, and (of course) wildfires. I think engaging in these earnest conversations has permanently changed my worldview. It’s such a gift to be the recipient of so much generosity and kindness no matter where I go — it’s stirred a kind of fervent optimism about the world that I doubt will die down any time soon. It’s a gift I hope to continue paying forward for as long as I can.

Views from my hike above Alto Paraíso de Goias into the national park. Very brown, yes, but some cool fauna as a treat!
My next (and final!!!!!!!) post will be a final recap of Brasilia. But in the meantime, and as always, I can’t help but express my boundless gratitude for all the people that have gotten me to this point. One week to go!
Esquel, Trevelin: la preciosa Patagonia (an unparalleled kind of peace)
Hello there!
I know, it’s been a while since my last post. Between being busy with work and interviews, the chaos of travel, and the rapidly approaching end of my trip, I’ve found it difficult to sit down and write a long blog entry. But I would be remiss if I didn’t get to tell you about my second stop in Argentina.
Patagonia was everything I hoped it would be, and more. Upon arriving at the Esquel airport, which is a one-room wooden building with probably five total employees, I was immediately confronted with some of the logistical troubles I knew I might find in a more remote area. There is no Uber, for example, and I almost got stuck in the airport because I didn’t have enough cash for a taxi. The town I was staying in, Trevelin, is about 45 minutes from the airport, and as small as Esquel may have seemed as I drove through, Trevelin is even smaller. It consists of one long road lined with supermarkets and the occasional restaurants, one roundabout, a school, a soccer field, and a tennis court. And that’s pretty much it. The houses are dramatically framed by the cragged peaks of the Andes no matter which direction you look; it’s so close to Chile you can probably see the border, which runs through the mountain range. Trevelin is known for its beautiful setting, of course, its distinct Welsh history (pretty rare in Latin America), and its stunning tulip fields that bloom every October. In August, however, it’s bitingly cold — it snowed the morning my plane landed — and quiet. I was probably the only tourist the week I was there, and definitely the only foreigner. For me, it was perfect.

The view of the Andes from just outside Trevelin.
You might be able to tell from some of my last blog posts, but I have been craving time away from a fast-paced city for some a while now. I’ll admit, it isn’t always easy to get around without the infrastructure of public transportation. And almost nothing has information online — if you want to know how to get around, you have to ask. During my first few days, I felt a little stuck. But spending time in a small town where you speak the language lends the wonderful gift of building relationships with strangers: my taxi driver, the cashier at the grocery store, the waitress at the Welsh tea shop, the mother and daughter who run the travel agency. By the time I left, I was actually waving to people on the street and chatting with acquaintances on the bus. All these generous strangers helped me find my way around and gave me the confidence to approach these logistical challenges with curiosity and grace.

The view of Cerro Calfu Mahuida from the hills above Esquel.
My first excursion out of Trevelin happened almost by accident. I was trying to catch the bus to the nearby Los Alerces National Park, which suffered wildfires earlier this year, but slept in and missed it (in my defense, the bus left at 6:45 AM). Slightly deflated, I decided to take the bus to Esquel instead and figure out my day as I went. As I looked out my window at the mountains towering in the distance, I was inspired to open AllTrails on my phone and found that some beautiful hikes started not too far from town. I hiked almost 17 miles — from the bus station, up the hill to Laguna La Zeta, and back through the parks of Esquel to Laguna Willmanco. I truly don’t have words to describe how awe-inspiring the views were. Since I hadn’t expected to be hiking at all that day, I had worn boots (not my walking shoes) and my last clean pair of pants, which happened to be the slacks I usually reserve for formal interviews. However, the scenery made me pulse with adrenaline to the point that my feet didn’t even ache until I got home that night. Stunning mountains, lakes as clear as mirrors, and green-blue-grey shrubs that remind me of the textured greenery of Northern California. I’m including some pictures here, but trust me, they don’t do it justice.

Laguna La Zeta. Look at those clouds!

Another view of Calfu Mahuida, this time from Laguna Willmanco.
The next day, I actually did make it to Los Alerces. Part of my dilemma was how best to see and learn more about the park: while there is a bus, it runs only twice a week and will only take you to one stop, and renting a taxi for the day is very expensive. I ultimately decided to take part in a group tour. Not only did it allow me to see much more of Los Alerces and learn about its history, but I was able to talk with the other Argentinians on the tour about how wildfires impact their lives. I might have been the youngest of our group by at least 40 years, but it was a joy to hike, drive, and test my Spanish nature/science vocabulary throughout the 8-hour journey through the park. We saw wild flamingos, glaciers, ancient cave paintings, waterfalls, and an emerald-green lake.

The views driving into Los Alerces NP (flamingos are hiding, but there, I promise).
Even better, my guide gave me tips on how to catch the bus the next morning to explore Cerro El Dedal, the highest peak you can climb during the winter. It’s about 7 miles round trip with over 3000ft of elevation in the first 3 miles, but oh boy, the views of the park in the morning light made it far worth the effort. My only regret was not bringing snow shoes: above the tree line, I had to dig my sneakers into the snow to make my way up the peak!

On the way up El Dedal….

…and near the summit! This panorama made my soggy shoes worth it.
I will be forever grateful for the peace this beautiful little town gave me. Not only did it surpass my already high expectations for Patagonia’s scenery, but it grew my travel confidence and helped me prove to myself that I’m more than capable of getting myself from point A to point B. These lessons have already been invaluable in Brazil, a similarly untouristy city where I don’t speak the language at all. Seeing all the natural beauty — including the miles of burnt trees — was a powerful reminder of my admiration for the people and places threatened by climate disaster. It was the ultimate adventure, and I loved every minute of it.

Calfu Mahuida again. Can you tell I was a fan of this mountain?
Thank you, Trevelin!
Buenos Aires: tranqui, lindo, copado, etc
Saludos desde Buenos Aires!
I have to admit, arriving in my second-to-last country was pretty surreal. After one of my longest travel day(s), I was so relieved to arrive safely in Argentina that I could barely process how close I was to the end of this journey. As excited as I have been over the last few months, I’ve been anxious, too: worried that I’ll lose my bag, miss my flight, or otherwise shoot myself in the foot and somehow ruin this trip. The trek across the Atlantic was one I had been extra apprehensive about. Completing this milestone felt like a weight lifted from my shoulders; and yet, settling into my apartment in Argentina still felt bittersweet. I’m trying to keep living in the moment — no use mourning something before it’s gone! And this city has given me many ways to make the most of my time here.
Although I did not study abroad in college, the program I most seriously considered was based in Buenos Aires. I remember deciding against it in part because I didn’t think I would like this city that much — I could not have been more wrong. The first thing I noticed was how quiet it is, so quiet you can hear people talking from the other side of the street. Maybe it’s the season, but sometimes the streets feel almost jarringly empty. I have to admit, I liked it — it’s nice to be in a city without the chaotic hustle that usually accompanies one. The other observation that surprised me is how closely the architecture resembles a traditional European city: cream-colored buildings with dark accented balconies, decorative domed roofs, curved windows that felt straight out of an Art Nouveau poster. The neighborhood I am staying in, Recoleta, is particularly Parisian in character, a stylistic choice punctuated by the traditional French cemetery at its center. I spent my first day exploring the cafes and pastelerías around my apartment. I was overjoyed to find alfajores (one of my favorite cookies) in nearly every cafe and made a game of trying as many as I can before I leave Argentina. I also discovered that Argentinians have managed to one-up the French with medialunas, a pastry that resembles a croissant but with more brioche-like dough — this may be a hot take, but I couldn’t get enough of them! That afternoon, I wandered around the famous cemetery and the artist market outside, where I chatted with vendors while grabbing gifts for my family. I was a bit worried my language abilities would fail me, but it’s actually been a relief to speak in Spanish, even if I know I’m occasionally fumbling my words. I already regret not being able to stay longer in a Spanish-speaking country to keep working on my language skills. A goal for the future, I hope!

The Cementerio de la Recoleta gave me some serious déjà vu for the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris, France.

Choripan in San Telmo. Sorry for the blurry picture, I was hungry!
On Sunday, I made my way across town to San Telmo, another neighborhood known for its weekend market and food hall. This market was several blocks long; vendor tents were broken up by tango dancers and street musicians at nearly every other. After a long morning of walking, getting a little lost on the subway, and buying some last-minute gifts, I stopped for an Argentinian street food classic: choripan! The juicy, crave-able grilled sausage is cut in half and served over French bread with a drizzle of chimichurri. Just as with Portugal, Argentinian food is rich and meat-heavy. And, like the architecture, it’s hard not to see European influences: the fan-favorite milanesa napolitana, for example, is like a chicken parm with beef. Most popular asado toppings scream French or German to me, and you can’t walk three blocks without coming across a pizza restaurant. However, I found that choripan, empanadas and the rest of the street food here have been some of my favorite meals of the trip. I’ve also been enjoying yerba mate, a bitter, highly caffeinated tea sipped leisurely from a calabash gourd and bombilla straw. On the weekends, you can see locals walking around with mate in one hand and huge Stanley mugs of hot water to refill their cups. I’ll admit, it’s an acquired taste, but the ritual of filling your calabash with loose leaves, digging a hole for the water, and carefully mixing in more tea to strengthen your drink is incredibly calming. On my walk home that afternoon, I stumbled upon a band playing “Chan Chan” by the Buena Vista Social Club (a favorite of mine); onlookers danced and sang along in the street. It was genuinely one of the best pieces of live music I’ve seen in a long time, and to me, dancing so freely with strangers is one of the purest forms of human joy. It almost brought me to tears.
After an interview and working on Monday, I decided to do a free walking tour of the famous Avenida de Mayo on Tuesday. This road runs between the main Congress building, which looks eerily like the one in D.C., to the president’s offices in the Casa Rosada (yes, like the White House, but pink). The guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the street’s famous architecture, tango bars, and political history. The walk culminated at the Plaza de Mayo, which was chock-full of important sites: across from the Casa Rosada is El Cabildo, the birthplace of the Argentinian independence movement, and the plaza itself is dotted with small paintings of white headscarves, a tribute to the Las Madres de Plaza de Mayo. During the military dictatorship that plagued this country in the 1970s-80s, tens of thousands of people were “disappeared” due to supposedly-revolutionary political activity. Most of the disappeared were students in their 20s or 30s. Las Madres protested for the safe return of their children, even though it was strictly illegal during the dictatorship, and still come to the plaza every Thursday to demand justice for their loved ones.

According to my tour guide, the Casa Rosada was originally painted pink by mixing white paint with pig’s blood! Don’t worry, she assured us it’s just paint nowadays.
On Wednesday, I decided to continue my learning experiences from the day before with a museum day. My first stop was the Buenos Aires Museum of Latin American Art, or MALBA for short. It was smaller than I was expecting, but I had the chance to see a Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera exhibit and some famous pieces of contemporary Brazilian art. Learning about the Manifesto Antropófago and Brazilian modernist movement, especially their connection to indigeneity, was an exciting sneak peek at my next destination. I then took the bus to ESMA, an old military school transformed into a series of museums and memorials about the military dictatorship (or Dirty War). One lesson I’ve learned from traveling around the world is how little my past education has taught me about world history — I almost always have to search the internet for more context about how recent events have shaped the contemporary cultures I find myself in. But my Spanish classes have given me a surprisingly holistic understanding of the Dirty War. I remember a Northwestern professor describing the kidnappings of students from their classrooms, “just like the classroom we’re standing in,” because of their political activism. However, learning about such horrific acts of violence is infinitely more memorable when you visit the sites where they took place. As you might imagine, the “disappeared” prisoners were tortured for information about their peers and subsequently killed in ways that ensured their bodies could never be found. At ESMA, you walk through the halls where prisoners slept, were tortured, and were ultimately led to their deaths. The hardest document to read was a letter from a young pregnant woman, kept alive just long enough to give birth to her baby. As with all the young mothers that came through the facility, she was told her mother would raise her child, and wrote her instructions words of comfort; alas, all of the babies born at ESMA were secretly adopted by military officials, and most never found their way back home. Although the campus is home to several different museums, I didn’t have the stomach to visit more than one.
I’ve honestly been surprised by how openly Argentina shares this dark history. Even though these atrocities happened relatively recently, I’ve seen dozens of plaques recognizing the sites of kidnappings around Buenos Aires, and several statues dedicated to “Memoria, Verdad, y Justicia.” It seems as though the trauma of the Dirty War — and therefore, the disavowal of the state that enacted them — has been written into Argentina’s national narrative for some time. I realize that the government has changed wildly since the 1980s, as have state politics and the economy. All of those factors have surely played a role in Argentina’s reckoning with its own history. And yet, I’ve had a hard time grasping how this plays a role in contemporary national identity. It’s something I hope my interviews next week might give me a bit more insight on.

La Boca! The most colorful street I’ve seen by far.
On Thursday, I took another bus to La Boca, a neighborhood about 40 minutes from Recoleta. La Boca is known for being home to many of the working class (mostly European) immigrants that poured into Argentina in the early 20th century — the dockworkers painted their homes with leftover paint used for fishing boats, giving the area the bright colors it is known for today. It’s also home to La Bombonera, one of the biggest futbol stadiums in the city. I hadn’t realized it, but the Boca Juniors were playing later that evening, and the streets were swarmed with fans buying blue and yellow jerseys. La Boca was by far the most touristy part of Buenos Aires that I visited. The main road was lined with kitschy souvenir shops, tango dancers, and overpriced menus in mostly English — nonetheless, I had to admit the area had a certain amount of charm. As I was walking down El Caminito, the most famous road in the neighborhood, I ran into a group of volunteer firefighters standing beneath a statue honoring the first brigade in the country, founded in La Boca in 1884. One of my favorite parts about Argentina has been the opportunity to strike up informal conversations: they always soothe my curiosity, of course, but often inform my research, too. It was a lucky coincidence to be able to chat with the firefighters about their work in the city and forest fires in other provinces. Most of my interviews will be next week, including with some first responders, so I’m grateful for the chance to compare their experiences!

From La Reserva, you can see the BA skyline peak above native trees, grasses, swamps, and wildlife.
On Friday, I walked around La Reserva Ecologica, a large park on the banks of the Río de la Plata. And on Saturday, my last day, I did my best to soak up my favorite parts of the city, wandering around Recoleta for one final time. I have to admit, I don’t seem to have the energy for nonstop exploring like I did in Australia and Greece. I’m also trying to conserve energy for Patagonia next week — the destination I’ve probably been looking forward to the most! Nonetheless, I feel incredibly grateful to have seen as many parts of Buenos Aires as I did. The city was surprisingly tranquil and utterly endearing. I’m sad to leave and yet incredibly excited for what’s to come. It’s a feeling I’m getting quite accustomed to.
Next time you hear from me, I’ll be in a tiny town in the Chubut Province, a little colder and with more stories to tell. ¡Hasta luego!
Kumasi: a (tiny bit) of quiet
Hello again!
I feel like I just finished writing about Accra, and yet here I am in an airport late at night, mentally preparing for another sequence of red eyes. So what better way to pass the time than to catch up on my time in Kumasi?
My last blog post left off last Saturday, just as I’d crashed after the bus ride from Accra. I’d had plans to explore the greater Ashanti Region that weekend — there’s a famous butterfly sanctuary and many beautiful hiking trails — but they were thwarted when I woke up to a throbbing migraine on Sunday. Honestly, this was a serious bummer. I had really hoped to use my two free days to catch up on adventuring, but the headache left me almost completely stranded on the couch of my Airbnb. It was a prudent reminder, however, that I still need to rest. This last leg has truly shown me how exhausting it is to travel this much! And that exhaustion certainly catches up to you (at least, it does to me). Luckily, I managed to catch up on some audiobooks and a bit of work while at the apartment. And even with the migraine, I tried my best to get out of the house for smaller trips around town.

The road to my apartment in Ahodwo, Kumasi.
Although Kumasi is still a major city, it felt much less hectic. I honestly hadn’t noticed how busy my neighborhood in Accra had felt until my first night at the Airbnb: I was very happy to leave the constant noise of voices, car horns, and rooster crows behind. The tropical green I saw on my bus rides through the Ghanaian countryside lined the road by the apartment complex. The hum of trotros and street food vendors could be heard a few streets away, but still, I welcomed the momentary quiet. On Sunday I ventured into downtown for a few hours to visit the Ashanti Cultural Center and Kejetia Market, the largest of its kind in West Africa. I was told that the city almost completely shuts down on Sundays, as most people are in church — because both markets can be pretty hectic to visit alone, I figured this might be my best opportunity. The Ashanti Cultural Center was serene, and I enjoyed watching musicians perform for a small crowd at an outdoor mass, but I wished I had been able to see Kejetia Market at its full force. I still managed to get lost inside, however, so maybe the calmer atmosphere was for the best.

The walkway through Kejetia Market. Someone warned me that if I took any photos of individual booths, the shop owner might make me buy something, so I was careful to be discreet!
I was staying on the outskirts of Kumasi’s Chinatown — according to someone from my hostel, the neighborhood originated from former Chinese political prisoners who immigrated to Ghana, though to be fair, I couldn’t find much online to back this up. I never would have thought that Chinese takeout could taste Ghanaian, and yet the spices in my cozy takeout meal felt distinctly similar to those I had tried in Jollof, grilled chicken, and stews over

Fufu with goat soup! Pro tip I was given: it’s considered very rude to eat with your left hand as it’s considered the “toilet hand.” Same goes for waving or accepting change.
the past week. As always, tasting the food here has been a highlight: groundnut (peanut) stew with mystery poultry, shito sauce made of peppers and fish paste, roasted plantain with lime. My favorite experience was visiting a chop bar, a traditional cafeteria-style eatery frequented around lunchtime. The chef, an older woman on a low stool, was surrounded by several simmering pots of soup, all of which she would stir occasionally. You pick your starch (fufu for me) and your meat (goat, please) and take it to one of the long tables with plastic chairs and tablecloths. The waitress brought soap, a water pitcher, and a large bowl and helped wash my hands — this meal is best enjoyed with your fingers. Behind a woven wooden screen, you could see and hear two men pounding fufu with sticks almost as tall as they were. I could tell the people were not used to tourists at this chop bar — they asked me repeatedly if I wanted a spoon and chuckled more than once at my attempt to eat the soup with my hands — but the savory, comforting food was well worth my slight embarrassment. My only regret was not ordering tilapia. After that meal, seeing all the baby goats in the streets made me sad.
I had never had Ghanaian food before, yet many of the flavors were surprisingly familiar. I remember watching High on the Hog for a food anthropology course last fall, a Netflix series that discusses the origins of Black American cuisine — the first scene opens in the markets of Cotonou, Benin, which is closer to Accra than Ann Arbor, MI is to Chicago. The central argument of the episode was to demonstrate how various West African cuisines (including Beninese and presumably Ghanaian) are represented in Black cuisine, and therefore the broader food culture of the United States. I am no expert on food or food history, but my taste buds seemed to recognize something about the spices and rich umami flavors in the meals I ate. Reading or hearing about food anthropologies is one thing, but to have the opportunity to taste these similarities is a completely different experience of learning, knowing, understanding. Just another part of this experience to be endlessly grateful for.
Tuesday and Wednesday were interview days. On Tuesday morning I made my way to CSIR-FORIG, Ghana’s premier forestry research institute, which is about 30 minutes outside the city. The entrance is off the major road that takes you all the way to Accra. Once I had found the right place, it was hard to believe it was a college campus at all: the handful of academic buildings were surrounded by acres of grasses, palm trees, agroforest saplings, and more. They take the whole “forest” thing pretty seriously. I have navigated more college campuses on this trip than I’d have liked, but this one might be my favorite so far. In the afternoon, I visited Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a much larger university closer to downtown Kumasi. It was also very green, but buzzing with more signs of student life like a stadium, a more traditional quad, and its own transit system. While walking across campus after initially navigating to the wrong department building, I noticed almost all of the students were wearing some version of slacks and blue button-down shirts — I’d never seen a university with this kind of widely-used dress code, and although I had tried to be presentable, I felt suddenly markedly underdressed.

The forests of FORIG
Wednesday required another trip to CSIR-FORIG and some time spent in the afternoon packing for the next travel day. I have to admit, I’m getting pretty tired of meticulously cramming my life down into my suitcase every week or so. But luckily, my next several turnarounds will not be as fast. On Thursday, I woke up early in the morning to catch the STC bus down to Accra, took a taxi to the airport, and waited many, many hours for my flight to Rome. After a brief pitstop there, I will fly 14-ish hours to Buenos Aires. Although these travel days are uniquely exhausting, I remind myself that they are always followed by new waves of awe at being in a new country, and ultimately gratitude for the magnitude of this experience. I am incredibly excited to visit Argentina and the Patagonia! The journey is always worth it in the end, even if my tired brain has trouble remembering.
See you in the Western Hemisphere!