Evolution 2010.

I am ridiculously lucky. The past 5 days I have been in Portland, Oregon at the Evolution 2010 Conference. It is a conference with about 1800 evolutionary biologists who get together to talk about their research. It has been SO interesting. Most of the talks have been quite far over my head but a few I have understood and learned from. I presented my research (a phylogeny of the relationships of Anomuran crabs) at one of the poster sessions here. It was a really good learning experience and a good look into what it's like to have a PhD and research for a living. It is so so cool. I also got to explore Portland. It was so fun. Some guys from work and I hung out together and we saw a lot of the "weirdest city in America." Ben and I explored downtown a lot and saw tons of weird people. We saw Voodoo donuts complete with the delicious to the inappropriate donuts. The art museum, museum of science and industry, Powell's books (the largest independently owned bookstore), the Portland Saturday market, and lots and lots of beggars. Oh, and TONS of absolutely delicious food. It's been really, really awesome. I am SO glad I had the opportunity to come. Dr. Crandall is so awesome to have let me and the other undergrads come here and even present. I am feeling very lucky. And I am so very blessed.