1921 miles

I completed my drive from Aurora, IL to Richland, WA! I have an internship working at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory this summer, same place I worked last summer. My dad helped me navigate the boring grasslands that are North Dakota and eastern Montana - I literally drove for 3 hours without once touching my brake or accelerator. Cruise control is a wonderful invention. 

My little Toyota Corolla was filled up with lots and lots of stuff, including a bike strapped to the back (which was a cause of great stress for me, I would compulsively look at it in the rearview mirror making sure it didn't fly off my car at 75mph. Plus it is a new bike, so I didn't want to expose it to the elements of half the country in its virgin form, but such is life, now it is nicely seasoned).

We stopped the first night in lovely Jamestown, North Dakota. I knew I was in North Dakota when I saw a woman in cowboy boots and a hat in the rest stop. Also, buffalo abounded!

Creepy albino buffalo, apparently it is sacred to the local Native Americans

Beautiful Montana!

Now I am settled in my home for the summer, a basement, but do not fear, it is not as grim as it sounds, it is quite homey.

I start saving the soil from radionuclides and heavy metals tomorrow! Yay science!