All right, it has been two days since arriving back stateside and I still have Bermuda on the brain. I meant to write this post earlier but just now remembered that I never finished it. So here goes.
The trip was awesome. I don’t exactly know what I expected from it but I certainly know that I didn’t expect to miss Bermuda so much after only being there for 10 days. When I realized that I already missed it on the plane to Boston, I knew it was more special than I had anticipated.
I always knew how much Bruce loved Bermuda, but I guess I didn’t really consider why. Maybe just because he had done dissertation work there and had a lot of connections? I really couldn’t tell you what I thought, but I can tell you what I think now, because I agree with Bruce 100%. Here are some reasons I love Bermuda (and our trip in specific):
1. It is GORGEOUS. Everywhere you are is an amazing view. The whole island is pretty clean compared to other islands I’ve been to, and everywhere is well-kept.
2. The fauna there is amazing. I hadn’t been exposed to that much intertidal life before the trip, but my mind was blown every day by the life that I got to see. It probably helped that I am a little enamored with chitons…
3. Every species on the island tells a story, from all of the introduced species’ origins to the near-extinction of the West Indian topshells to the Bermuda cedars (which are actually junipers). So much history is embedded in everything! And it is so easy to decipher! One example is the geology of the island- each formation outcrops somewhere or another on the island, often in lots of places, and every outcrop is clearly visible. Not to mention that the rocks alternate between dune-formed aeolian sandstones and paleosols, and each is easily dateable. My whole point is that the island’s biological and geological history is, in general, clearly outlined.
4. Everyone is so friendly! Even when I am positive people were making fun of us constantly (I can’t imagine why though… certainly not because of our tendency to ride our mopeds in a straight line, right around the speed limit, with matching helmets and bikes with blatant rental company stickers), they were really welcoming and just pleasant in general.
5. This is, of course, trip-specific, but BIOS was just the ideal place to stay. Everyone was lovely, the food was great, our living conditions were nice (well, discounting the occasional ant infestation), and it was just really accommodating. I would stay there again in a heartbeat.
6. BRUCE! I can try and explain exactly how he managed to do everything right, but I won’t do it justice… of course I will try anyway. He was incredibly helpful and optimistic and inclusive, all the time. We were learning all day, every day, but it never felt burdensome or like we were being thrown information– it was exactly the opposite. I credit Bruce almost entirely for the fact that I wanted to learn everything I could about anything I could, because his interest in and love for Bermuda is totally infectious. I have never had a professor make a whole group want to learn like we all wanted to before… it was really cool.
Aside from Clara’s delayed arrival, literally nothing went wrong on the trip. I think part of the reason for the trip’s success was due to our group, but a larger part of it was due to Bruce. His temperament and thinking lent itself perfectly to Bermuda’s sometimes inclement weather- even if our original plans were foiled by wind or rain (which didn’t really happen), Bruce always had something else up his sleeve that he was just as enthusiastic about, and it had a huge effect on our general attitude. He managed to keep us in line without it EVER sounding like he was parenting us, a feat that I still have absolutely no idea how he pulled off.
7. Our group! We really got lucky with this class. Everyone on this trip was genuinely kind and had a great attitude, and I know the trip wouldn’t have been the same without them. It was an eclectic group, and it worked out perfectly. I am so happy I got to know everyone who came on the trip, and I really hope I keep seeing them around campus because they are all the kind of people who will brighten your day.
Ok, ok, I will stop now. My bottom line for the post is this: I. Loved. This. Trip. Bruce, thanks a million for everything you have done for us. It was a spectacular experience and I really just want to go back.