Off to Namibia!

Namibia? Where is that? Wait...is that where Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt are? Yes, that is what people have been asking me when I tell them about my latest bit of exploration. And the answer... yes, Brad and Angelina are there. Uh, I mean Namibia is a country in Southern Africa. It is on the west coast, just north of South Africa. I will be spending four weeks there with a fun group of Geobiologists. We will be studying the Precambrian/Cambrian transition. That means, we will be studying the rocks that were deposited around 500 million years ago during the time of the Cambrian explosion. Did I say explosion? Yes, but I don't mean a literal explosion. The Cambrian explosion was the rapid increase in multicellular diversity that happened 500 million years ago. In other words, the Cambrian explosion was the development of the Earth's earliest animals. But more about that later. For now, I am frantically packing to spend two and half weeks in the field. No beds, no heat, and no showers. Geologists are tough! Oh, and you might be wondering about why I am worried about having no heat. Namibia is in the southern hemisphere, so while it is summer here in North America, it is winter in Namibia. As soon as I walk out the door I begin an odyssey of travel that will last approximately 32 hours. 24 hours of flight time plus time in airports in between flights. My flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, South Africa is 18 hours long! That is a long time to stay sitting down!

Because I will be out in the field for most of my trip, I won't be able to make regular blog entries. However, you can expect a pile of entries about my adventures when I return to the states. In the mean time, my friend Nina (who is studying to be a veterinarian) will be posting some fun facts about Namibia and the places that I will be visiting. She will also be sharing some of her adventures in being a veterinarian with you! Yay! So stay posted!

Ciao!