Together with new friends, I attended classes on the birds, herptiles (reptiles and amphibians) and conservation. I traveled around the country visiting local villages and going on safaris.
When I returned from Tanzania, I began a research project at my school. The project started out as something I was required to do, but it quickly became a highlight of my time in college! I studied a parasite that infects llamas in South America. I hoped to provide information that could be used to help protect llamas in the future. I fell in love with the joys of research! It is so exciting to discover something about an animal that no one else has ever known. Not to mention, I got to travel to Peru as part of my project!
After finishing college, I wanted to continue traveling and studying animals. So, I moved to East Lansing, Michigan to attend graduate school at Michigan State University. It took me a while to figure out what exactly I wanted to research. I knew I wanted to study animal behavior and travel but I didn’t know the best way to combine those two interests. Eventually, I learned about Asian honey bees, which are insects that help plants make many of the foods we eat. There is not a lot of research on the bees. Since those bees are all found in India, I knew studying those animals was the perfect opportunity for me to travel to India!
Now, because of my love for animals and my love for travel, I have the opportunity to live in India for nine months. I will be conducting research and learning about a country with a rich and fascinating cultural heritage. I’m so excited to learn more about this beautiful country and its amazing bees… I can’t wait to share what I learn with you all!
