Jet setter or jet lagged?

One year since my last post! What have I been up to that I have completely forgotten to update my blog? My first year of teaching at the University of Southern Indiana has kept me busier then I could have ever pictured with teaching, preparing lectures, grading, and all the busy administrative work that no one ever talks about that invariably comes with any job. Having been a teaching assistant (for one class) and teaching three classes while in the Gambia, I thought I would be prepared for teaching full time at a medium sized university. But I was wrong. Taking on four undergraduate courses that I had never taught before was rough! But looking back at the past year, it also feels like a rite of passage, something that all first time faculty must go through…you know because writing and defending your dissertation aren't enough stress to really judge a person’s true threshold for stress!

When I was applying for academic positions, my biggest fear was that I would be ‘stuck’ teaching biostatistics.  As an epidemiologist, biostatistics is my arch enemy! Okay, that is probably pushing it a little far, it’s not really that I don’t like biostatistics, because it is certainly necessary to everything I do in my work, but more that it would be teaching outside my subject area. So, as it turns out, I was hired to teach Biostatistics. Yep, that’s right, mistress fate has a funny way of working. Three semesters later, I am happy to say I teach biostatistics. In some ways, it helps to be a non-statistician, teaching people who are also never going to be statisticians. I can relate to the student’s fear of the subject matter and hopefully approach the subject in a non-scary way. Still, I almost cried when I had to assign failing grades my first semester. Which shows there is still room for improvement in my teaching methods. Which if you ever stop thinking you need to improve your teaching materials/methods, you are probably ready to be done teaching!

In addition to teaching, I applied for a small research award through my university. I’m happy to say I was one of the research proposals awarded! Which considering I am currently sitting in the Gambia thanks to my award, I am past due announcing it! My research will consist of assessing the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Gambian health care workers on rapid diagnostic tests for malaria. I start collecting data on Thursday and can’t wait to get out in the field!

Travelling never seems to get any easier. Any time you fly across the country, the ocean, or continents, you are going to put in some quality time in a small seat with little padding, and no leg room. For once in my life, I’m glad I’m not tall! My trip to the Gambia consisted of six flights (with a layover in Connecticut for Paul and Vinnie’s wedding-Congratulations guys!) and about 18 hours of flying time (~30 hours travel time total). I’m not sure who designed the seats on airplanes, but they have a horrible sense of humor. One day, I plan to upgrade to those wonderful first class seats that look like actual beds. Some day. Which considering the increasing costs of research and dwindling research budgets, probably in my dreams! So I finally arrived in the Gambia sleep deprived and with a kink in my neck from attempts to sleep. I feel extremely lucky to have a wonderful research partner in Mr. Edrisa Sanyang and the University of the Gambia. Edrisa not only met me at the airport on Eid al-Fitr, but is also spending his last two weeks in the Gambia helping me collect data for my study! Congratulations to Edrisa on his acceptance into a PhD program at the University of Iowa (Go Hawks) starting this fall! 

When I awoke after 13.5 hours of sleep on my first day in the Gambia, you would think I would be able to hit the ground running. You would be wrong. I had agreed to meet Edrisa at 12 pm in Brikama to discuss our research plan. I set my alarm at 10:30 am as a backup, never thinking I would actually need it when I went to bed before 9 pm! Yes, I can see the many people familiar with my sleep habits rolling their eyes at setting the alarm for anything that late and in fact needing it! My first thought this morning…I wish I had more time to sleep. I honestly think I could have slept another five or six hours. Yep, combine a missed night of sleep, jetlag, and a long sleeper and you get a cranky girl, even after 13.5 hours! Despite my lingering jet lag, I was able to jump right back into taking public transportation. I flagged down a gilly gilly (a large van/bus that holds about 25 people) and made my way to the University of the Gambia/Gambia College campus. It was fun to take a familiar route, driving past my old junction in Yundom, seeing all the familiar landmarks. Now that I'm unpacked and settled in my home for the next 3 weeks, I'm ready to tackle my next project-data collection, but first, a little more sleep!