It’s been already a week since I arrived in Miami, Florida for doing a 2,5 months internship in the John Kominoski Lab at the Florida International University (FIU). After I handed in my thesis in Biological Oceanography I wanted to take this as an opportunity to go abroad, getting to know a different country, different people and cultures,  and also a different research area – but without any pressure!

Leaving well-organized Germany and its agricultural landscape behind! Photo: Hanna Campen

Norwegian landscape already looks wilder and I wonder how the Floridian wilderness will be… Photo: Hanna Campen

All I knew is that I’m going to help with some field research in the wilderness of the Everglades. Precisely speaking the project is about mangroves and how they may safe the wetlands of the 10.000 Islands from drowning – the threat of sea level rise.  Picturing this – asking myself how to picture that exactly – I shouldered my two red backpacks and headed to Miami! This is about one week ago and clearly it feels longer since a lot happened: For the first time I slept in a suite in a luxus hotel John rent for me in Coconut Grove, Miami, had lunch with a bunch of important scientists, always reviewed American stereotypes, experienced the Caribbean and layed back side of South Florida, had typical “local” food (for those who can’t wait: It was just a giant Pizza, Peanut Butter-Jelly Sandwiches and the popular Key Lime Pie) and on top of all that got lost in the middle of the Everglades awaiting a thunderstorm and encountered a öööööööhm pretty big alligator!!!

My Arrival

Don’t think that I finally learned how to keep things short! No, I’ll start at the very beginning:

Well, before John would welcome me in Miami, the city of skyscrapers right behind its bright white beaches, multiculture and high society – at least that is how I was picturing it after reading in all those conventional travel guides – I still had to pass the feared US immigration control. Honestly, I was nervous. Walking my way through the small airport of Fort Lauderdale, an own municipality north of Miami, together with other non-citizens. Behind his desk the security officer severely looked at me and asked me for the reason of my stay.

-“I’ll do an internship”

I said promptly, soon realizing that this was not the smartest answer.

-“Do you have a proper visum?”

-“Well I have an Esta Visum.”

By the way this is for tourists only who will stay no longer than 90 days and who are not going to work or study in the US.

-“How long will the internship be?? You are only allowed to stay for 90 days!”

-“It’s only 2,5 month, it won’t take longer than 90 days!!!”

I said quickly while meaningfully shaking my head. He seemed to be satisfied. We chat a bit about the Everglades, confirming me once more that studying this area promises to be an incredible experience and I finally head over to the baggage claim. After I mistakenly took the wrong backpack wondering who put this giant package of tobacco into it I managed to find the right one and finally entered the arrival area.

Before I came John promised me a couple of times that he will excitedly wait for me wearing a white fedora head so that I can’t miss him. I found that so nice and having this picture in mind I was sure I won’t! In fact we directly met eat other and he literally welcomed me! He drove me to the Mutiny Hotel I was supposed to stay in located right on the Coconut Grove, a lively place on the coast of Biscayne Bay. I felt the long journey and the jetlag, though we had great conversations cutting a number of topics I was really interested to hear about. To give only some examples, we talked about that many of the Americans feel ashamed for Donald Trump being their top presidential candidate and that they feel their opinion often is not reflected by the media. But we also chat about the history of Florida  and Miami, how not only Cuban people fled here because of Fidel Castro but also other Latin-Americans and therefore considerably shaped Miami and South Florida making it a very special and multicultural place. This is mirrored by the Caribbean-like mentality of south Floridians and having districts like Little Havana where most of the Cuban immigrants once went.

Good sleep in this giant bed for my first night in Miami!          Photo: Hanna Campen

After arriving in my suite…wait…a suite? Yes! I couldn’t trust my eyes, because of the wideness of this hotel “room” by courtesy of the FIU – thank you by the way, it was a pleasure to sleep in a bed four of me would have fit into and of course having a kitchen, just in case I might feel like cooking!!! I was  tired but so thrilled about the suite and all those new and exciting impressions, that, I guess, it took over on John because he enthusiastically high-fived me when he left with his white fedora head.

Some Caribbean atmosphere with a flavour of American fast food-mentality, please! – Key Largo, here I come!

I slept deeply and well, woke up and although Coconut Grove was supposed to be worth a visit I didn’t have the time to explore it because we directly left o FIU.

FIU Campus, Photo: Hanna Campen

John had a meeting there for lunch which was really convenient. I was starving since I slept too long to go and find breakfast in some of the thousand coffeeshops – most probably I wouldn’t have been even able to decide for one! For the  meeting I just joined John and it turned out to be a planning meeting with some central scientific players here. Even though I felt a little out of the place since being the Intern from Germany having no idea what is going on here it was very interesting to listen to them. However, I was also quite occupied with serving myself coffee and delicious breakfast-lunch (which I guess is brunch…)! After that John showed me his lab and introduced me to his students Marco and Shelby.

The Kominoski Lab from up above, where the students have their working places!
Photo: Hanna Campen

Snapshot: In the students’ corner in John’s Lab, Photo: Hanna Campen

Then we headed on to Key Largo, an island south of Miami, where I was supposed to stay most of the time as John told me. On the way we fortunately had the chance to grab some supplies because that morning I got surprised by the fact that I would need an adaptor to use my electronics here. Once arriving in Key Largo John welcomed me to the comfortable and relaxing layed-back-mentality of the Caribbean-like Keys (all those islands south of Florida, connected by the Overseas Highway and therefore often compared to a string of pearls).

Oversea Highways that connects all the Key islands from Key Largo out to Key West. Photo: Hanna Campen

However, it seemed to me like a weird mixture of Latin American style and conventional American supply stores and drive-thrus for basically everything you can think of.  All the way down to Key Largo we were talking about the weeks to come, the research they’re doing and where I will stay and work most of the time.

Me, being excited to get cash 😉
Photo: Hanna Campen

Apparently I will change places a lot, mostly between Key Largo and the area of 10.000 Islands. At both I would stay in field stations together with other scientists who temporary do field research there. Once we arrived he showed me the two facilities I will stay at: the so-called Ranger station where there is also the lab and a mesocosm experimental set-up (yay something I’m familiar with!) Marco is going to work on. He followed us to Key Largo and wewill mostly stay at the same places. When we won’t be at the Ranger station we will stay at the house of a retired Professor who once did coral reef research and offers the basement of his house to foreign researchers (mostly students) – and his place is kind of a diving and snorkeling base. This basically means you just put on your gear, go to the little dock at the seaside of his backyard (!) and jump into the water to explore the legendary reefs around Key Largo. Excuse me, is this paradise?!

Another giant thing I spotted here: Man, this is what I call an emergency shower!!! (Lab of the Ranger Station on Key Largo)
Photo: Hanna Campen

Just to show me that this is not all Key Largo can offer John invited Marco and me for dinner at his favorite restaurant.

At this point I have to confirm two American stereotypes: Firstly, yes they do mostly eat out or get something on their way but cooking yourself seems to be less common and secondly, yes the portions are massive! Always! And don’t ask me about sugar contents…so far I didn’t dare to read nutrition facts carefully. The traditional local Key Lime Pie which is very popular for the Keys probably has a lot of it, anyway it was just delicious!

I was happy to have a Veggie-Wrap with (hopefully) local Avocado 🙂 Photo: Hanna Campen

Back at the ranger station where I had a bunk bed on my own, but unfortunately without bed linen, I got really tired. It’s been hardly 24 hours since I arrived in Florida but I already have been to so many different places, have met lots of new people, new places, and it felt like I packed in and out my stuff a hundred times. And there was one thing which I felt was very tireing: not to forget: air conditioning! The changes in temperature when going from out to inside are huge! Anywhere! So, a note to myself:

Key Lime Pie – yummy! Photo: Hanna Campen

Don’t forget your f******* sweatshirt! The whole night I was chilly (which means “feeling cold”, not “being relaxed” as I first thought) since a cotton inlet obviously isn’t aproper substitution for a sleeping bag under such (air) conditions. So I was (almost) glad that I had to get up again in only 4 hours to finally go to the 10.000 Islands where my first “field mission” is going to start.

It felt like instantly fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes – but still my head kept on tackling  a thousand questions:

John’s favorite and apparently typical Southern food: boiled peanuts. Their taste reminded me of potatos…
Photo: Hanna Campen

How would field work in the endlessness of the Everglades feel like? How will it be to meet Sean, a person I absolutely don’t know, despite that he should be “very good in the field”? What does that mean? A hulk-like person with a machete? And anyway, I still have no real clue what exactly I’m going to do…what is this all about???

Well, to have at least some answers I had to wait for the next days to come – just as you have to wait for my next post 😉 I’m glad that you made it until here and hope you enjoyed 😉

See you next time!