Starting out my Master's degree in a foreign country and in a completely different language, I had no idea what to expect and was a combination of nervous and excited. My first introduction to what my program would look like included a 5 day trip in the field to explore the geography, geology, and hydrology of Grenoble and the surrounding mountains.
From the moment I stepped off the bus on the first day of the field trip in the Oisan valley, I also knew I was in the right place. Being in the field surrounded by such incredible geologic and glaciologic history was so exciting. It was something so different from where I come from in the Rocky Mountains in the U.S. Everything was new and yet the same. I found it was a challenge to think like a geologist, as that is not what my background is in, but I learned to see the relevance of this way of thinking and its impacts on hydrology and understanding glacial history. I loved the hydrology stops and thinking about how rivers, glaciers, and the atmosphere all interact and change entire landscapes over time. I felt comfortable with my understanding of these systems, atmospheric chemistry and my knowledge of collecting hydrological measurements such as discharge.
