I have written this blog update in a mixture of Washington D.C Ronald Reagan and Nashville airports, waiting for my flights to new adventures with one of my best friends, Charlotte. So the time came for me to leave Virginia and my amazing internship at the MARE center. The morning I left was a beautiful one, with the fog gradually lifting off the hills as I worked....
Visit to Virginia Tech Main Campus in Blacksburg
Last week, Dr. Splan organised a trip for me to go and visit the main Virginia Tech campus in the town of Blacksburg. This town has been taken over by the 'college' (they don't call it university here) so it has a very studenty atmosphere. The 4 hour drive South West to Blacksburg was beautiful and bypassed the Blue Ridge mountain range. It is difficult to hate long journeys in the States because the roads are so good, there is never any traffic (despite what they may tell you and moan about, their traffic is like 20 times less congested than ours) and the scenery is just stunning.
When we arrived at the campus, the first thing that struck me was the immense size of the football stadium. I mean, this was huge and as big as many Premier League British football team stadiums. Except there was one key difference - this was just the seating for the college team! The college football over here is CRAZILY popular and literally everyone loves it. I have not met a single person who doesn't tell me how absolutely amazing game day is (which is weirdly on a Saturday afternoon usually - not at night). I am kind of sad that I didn't get to attend one of these amazing games that everyone has been telling me about (although I would be really awkward because I always feel uncomfortable and out of place at sporting events for some reason - I have no idea why!).
After parking and entering one of the gorgeous limestone European-style buildings, my tour began. My tour gude was a college student in his second year who was also very proud of his university, despite the fact he has come from a different area of the States. We had a look around the various different animal sections before I met up with 2 girls that had previously been MARE center interns like me but were now full-time vet students. They showed me around the vet school and told me about what life is like as a vet student - fun and rewarding, but with long hours and a lot of revising. The vet school was very impressive and much bigger than I had imagined in my mind!
I then was able to attend a class on Animal Reproduction with Sarah Greenway, who had also been one of the girls I lived with over summer. The class was really good and was extremely in depth in comparison to ours - everything was broken down into bite size pieces so it was really easy to understand and well taught. The post-graduate students teach a lot of the classes here whilst they are studying, which I think is an amazing opportunity - I wish there were more options such as this available in the UK!
After the class, we had a look around the campus and it truly is a beautiful place. The college has a very 'busy' feel and seems to be a constant hive of activity, which is evident by their impressive research output and prestigious reputation. It is well designed and has beautiful architecture with lots of green, open spaces and stunning views all around. I have to say, Virginia Tech at Blacksburg definitely 'took a little piece of my heart'....
On the way back from Virginia Tech, Dr, Splan wanted to show me a 'typical' American diner and I really excited to go to one as I hadn't been to one before. The diner she chose was called the 'Pink Cadillac' and had just that parked outside.
One of my main goals of the summer was to get fitter and I have been running on average 3-4 times a week over the 12 weeks I have spent in Virginia. The humidity and general hot weather took a lot of getting used to and at first, I could barely walk up some of the hills I now run up. Anyway I had always had in the back of my mind that I would love to be able to run 10 miles by the end of summer. I had only ever ran 10kms (6.2 miles) before this, so 10 miles seemed like a big jump and was kind of scary in my mind. Anyway, my final weekend had arrived and I decided to bite the bullet and run my 10 miles. I made it as easy as I could for myself and ate plenty of carbs beforehand and also took with me a sports drink (I normally only take water).
I set off and the day was beautiful - sunny but cooler than it has been despite the fact I ran at midday. The whole time I was distinctly aware that this was the last time I would run around the beautiful Virginia trails and see those views, breathing in the fresh warm air. It was somewhat motivational but also made me realise how much I would miss it when I left. I came to 9,5miles of my run and I felt okay, so I decided to run a further 3.5 miles to make it a half marathon. And guess what? I did it. I ran a half marathon around hilly Virginia and I felt fantastic. Anyone that says exercise isn't good for your mental state clearly hasn't been truly fit because the feeling of accomplishment you get after achieving your goals gives me (although I know everyone isn't the same) the best feeling in the world.
"Virginia is for lovers" Well, goodbye my lover...
The slogan for VA is 'Virginia is for lovers' - I would imagine because it is such a romantic and beautiful place to be. I feel so lucky to have been able to spend some time in such a pretty part of the world and I am definitely a 'lover' of the State.
I saw a few more natural beauties over the last few says I had in Middleburg, including a weird and wonderful fungus, more bald eagles and a brightly coloured caterpillar. Over the last few days of my internship,I did the usual things with the horses but was a little more aware that I wouldn't have much time left with them, so I took a few more photos than normal....
Don't break my heart
Although I have loved you,
It's time to depart
I will remember your trees,
Your deer and birds
More beauty than could be
Expressed in these words
The tannoy is calling
It's time for my flight,
Goodbye Virginia;
It has been a delight,
Although it is sad
Saying goodbye to you,
Upwards and onwards
To adventures new...