Shy, reserved, quiet – those words used to describe me, but not anymore. I now have no fear of talking to someone I don't know. I surprised myself at the ease at which I struck up conversations with collaborators I was introduced to as well as random conference attendees, such as the Chinese man I met at lunch today and the Polish man reading his book during a break. I enjoy conversing with people, finding out who they are, where they're from, and what they think. I am so grateful I was given this opportunity!

Today was the last day of the conference. Sandy gave his talk this morning, which went well. They went all-out at lunch, with not only sandwiches, but also cake and watermelon. I made a quick trip after lunch to do some last-minute gift shopping. There was an exciting debate after lunch about GRBs and cosmology, showing just how passionate some scientists can be about their beliefs (and that there's so much we still don't know).

After the conference ended, a group of us went to a nearby bar to wait for our restaurant reservations. We ate a delicious 5-course meal at a Belgium restaurant, where I had a cucumber and smoked fish plate, Belgium fries with mayonnaise, pancakes (crepes) with nuts and carrot sauce, pumpkin lasagna, and a chocolate crepe dessert. The service was slow (3 and a half hours), but it was worth the wait.

My flight is at 1:10 PM local time, so I'll have to leave the hotel at around 10:30. I'm afraid my tulip bulbs will be seized because I didn't know there was such a thing as “U.S. certified” bulbs (and the store lady lied to me). Other than that, I hope the trip back to the States will go smoothly. I should arrive back in Huntsville in the evening.