Back to school!

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Classes start tomorrow for the 2011-2012 academic year- my 10th year at Miami! I had a pretty busy summer, teaching GEO 121 during the early summer session (ended late June), then taking a 3-week trip to Kenya to visit family and national parks. We stayed in Machakos, and visited Lake Nakuru National Park, Aberdare National Park, Mombasa, Tsavo West National Park, Nairobi, and even crossed the equator. I really enjoyed our time there and we all wished for another week when it was time to come home- next time! (click the photos to enlarge)

My daughter in the Indian Ocean at Bamburi Beach, Mombasa.

Zebras at Lake Nakuru National Park (taken by my husband)

Chania Falls, Thika

Me at our hotel in Mombasa

Since getting home, things have been quieter, though I've been catching up with research work and getting ready for classes for the last few weeks. The worst thing about getting home has been the heat. We arrived in the middle of the heat wave in late July- which was a real shock after enjoying Kenya's gorgeous July weather. The sun is far north of equator in July, so this is the coolest time of year in Kenya. We also spent most of our time above 5000 feet, so it was cool and comfortable at night- even chilly when stayed at the tented lodges! Mombasa was humid, but the trade winds blew all the time and the temperature didn't go much above 80°F.

I have a busy schedule this semester with three classes- all of which have labs and only one has a teaching assistant. I'm also teaching all three on a MW schedule instead of MWF- in order to fit all the labs in without teaching five days a week. It should be a good semester- I hope my students are ready to go!


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