Between pipettes, coastal roads, and cheddar cheese: My life in England

Hello everyone

Wow, has it really been two weeks already? I'm so sorry that it's been so quiet here lately. But don't worry: I haven't been lazy; so much has happened, and I want to share it with you today.

Lab, blots, and breakthroughs

Let's start with the reason I’m actually here: the good old lab routine. Initially, some of my experiments fell into the category 'well, it was worth a shot', but after extensive researching, tinkering, and optimizing, things have finally turned around. My latest results are really promising, and I'm curious to see how my supervisor feels about them on Monday. We have our next evaluation meeting coming up, and I already have a few ideas in mind about how we can build on this.

Monday will also be exciting for another reason: I get to train two new students in the lab. We're going to cover the Western Blot technique. Honestly, I’m a bit nervous, but I’m also looking forward to it. I’ll tell you more about that in the next blog!

Road trip alert: From London to the ends of the earth

In between, I had a special visit from Germany, probably my last for now before my mom might come with my brother to pick me up. So, we seized the opportunity and took a beautiful road trip: over 1000 miles through the southwest of England!

First stop: Portsmouth. I was there in April, but I wanted to visit the Historic Dockyard Museum to see the old warships again. The recommendation still stands: it's incredibly fascinating, even though the HMS Victory is unfortunately still under renovation for 8 more years. But you can still go inside and admire the ship from within. It also has a bit of a historical smell.

Next, we headed to Exeter. If you don’t know the city, it has not only a breathtakingly beautiful cathedral but also the famous Underground Passages. They were built in the 14th century to channel clean water through an underground system into the city. The tour down there is not for the claustrophobic; at some points, you really have to almost crawl through. My tip: don’t wear white clothes.

Next stop: St. Ives! We finally made it there via tiny roads (and I mean really tiny). A charming coastal town that looks almost painted. And since we were so far west, we continued the next day straight to the legendary Land’s End, the westernmost point of England. Of course, it rained. But somehow, that's part of the deal here. The view was magical nonetheless.

On the way back, there were more highlights:

• Cheddar (yes, that cheese) with a visit to Gough’s Cave, where the famous cheese is aged. Of course, we brought back a proper supply of Cheddar.
  
• Tintagel Castle, where you have a truly breathtaking view from the cliffs.
  
• And finally, a detour to Oxford. What a beautiful city! Of course, I couldn’t miss out on a hot cookie from Ben’s Cookies before heading back to London.
  

Musical moment

Back in London, I immediately dived back into the lab. But on Friday evening, a real highlight awaited: I went to the musical “Wicked,” and I can highly recommend it! A wonderful stage design, captivating songs, and a story that’s perfect for a family outing.

And now: lace up your running shoes!

Before I say goodbye for today, I’ll quickly put on my running shoes and take a round outside in the fresh air. Clearing my head, a little exercise—it just feels good after all the hustle and bustle of the last few days.

Thank you for checking in here again and again. Next week, there’ll be another update from the lab, and maybe even the first stories from my two new lab chicks.

Until then!

Yours, Steffi