While I don't want to give you the full Spain story right now (because I'm actually currently here and will have plenty of time to regale you with my adventures when I'm back in boring Corn Town USA) I did want to post a quick update of what's going on across the pond...
For those of you who didn't know, this week I went to Valencia to attend the annual research conference for the Society of Text and Discourse. This is a collection of people that study reading comprehension, argumentation, and general discourse processes from all over the world, and from just about every angle you could imagine. Unlike the Psychonomics conference I attended last year in November, this conference is made up of a smaller and more specialized collection of scientists and their humble students who are lucky enough to tag along, such as myself.
So far my experience here has been incredible. I presented the research I worked diligently on over the course of this past year at NIU to a very thoughtful and supportive audience much to the pleasure of my advisor who made this all possible by giving me the project in the first place (and guiding me along the way when things started falling apart mid winter -- if you knew me during that time, I'm sorry about the crankiness by the way. It ended up being worth it).
Then I got a chance to have dinner with my current NIU peers, professors, and some GVSU professors. It's pretty bizarre to present research you conducted to a person who taught you a great deal of what you know about the field in the first place. But my "academic family" couldn't be more supportive and generous with their critiques and suggestions, and I am so lucky for their influence.
Being in Spain in itself is a totally fun cultural adventure. I can only remember having food that remotely compared in quality to this when I was in Germany (sorry England). There will probably be a blogpost alone about the food and wine that I had here. The streets have been sunny and bright every day, and everyone has been very friendly (although I must say that may have something to do with the fact that everyone also assumes before I open my mouth that I am fluent in Spanish). hehe I must look like a native! It would be a complement to say the least...Valencia is the city of very tan, very beautiful people.
Stand by for more details soon!
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