I love and adore my grad school program. I’m working towards my master’s in biology through Miami Ohio University/Project Dragonfly’s Advanced Inquiry Program. It’s a hybrid program and classes are split between an online component and in-person class meetings at my master institution. My master institution is the Wildlife Conservation Society in New York City so most of my classes are at the Bronx Zoo.
I had class tonight and while sitting in traffic I started thinking of all of the non-academic things I’ve learned while driving back and forth from NJ to the Bronx. Enjoy my slightly facetious and sarcastic list!
- The Hamilton cast recording is the perfect length to get me through the whole trip.
- Related, I can play all of the parts in when performing it in my car. Still working on Daveed Digg’s ridiculous rap in”Guns and Ships”, though.
- I hate traffic. There’s a reason my work commute is 25 minutes through rural-suburban towns.
- The commute to the zoo can take anywhere from 1 hour and 20 minutes to 3 hours. Tonight it took almost 2 and a half hours.
- The George Washington Bridge is ridiculously long.
- I can drive in the Bronx.
- I can drive in Fort Lee.
- I can hold my own with crazy New York drivers.
- There is a distinct lack of public transportation options between NJ and anywhere that is not Manhattan.
- None of the March Madness games are broadcast on the radio.
- Hamilton by Ron Chernow is a great audiobook to listen to while commuting.
- I’d rather take the long way up the Henry Hudson Parkway than suffer through the hell that is the Cross Bronx Expressway.
- I can identify most of the gorillas in Congo (exhibit) by sight.
- It’s pretty cool walking through the dark, empty zoo. Lots of animals make noise at night when there are no visitors!
These are just a few of the things I came up with while driving home tonight. Thankfully, the ride home only took an hour and thirty minutes!
I love this program and I learn so much every time we have class. But man do I dread the commute!
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