Adaptation

Personally, this project has begun somewhat inauspiciously. At Logan Airport, my ignorance of luggage rules penalized me with a $50 surcharge. Following that, my layover at Baltimore was extended by half an hour. Those two things I can tolerate, but the loss of my luggage when I arrived in Albuquerque was especially unnecessary after spending the whole day in stressful situations. I knew I should have followed suit when all other Santa Fe D10 students used American Airlines.

The first week of living in Santa Fe was not without obstacles to survival. The prominent sunshine on which solar power proposals are based has not been conducive to warm weather. A couple chilly naps later, and one's throat becomes sore and a veil of fatigue inhibits every physical and mental effort. Food is also a challenge. Whereas I could support myself on $40 a week in Worcester, I've spent over twice that in my first two days because of the local affinity for organic foods.

Beyond the "breaking-in" of living conditions, the scope of this project has been revealed to be something greater than what I ascertained from the other side of the country. Talking with the local authorities on pertinent issues has given us a better understanding of our project, but it has enlightened us of the obselete nature of expectations and first drafts. The lesson here is not to be prideful in original beliefs and to expect and mitigate the nervousness that comes when the professor picks apart your work.

In the time I have spent at the Complex, I believe that I have discovered the essence of the IQP. More than ever, I have noticed the disconnect between engineers and non-engineers. At Trader Joes, I spoke with a woman who showed in interest in our living conditions after observing the inordinate amount of groceries we would have to lug back to our Don Felix St. residence. I told her the gist of our project, although it was in terms that the initiated would understand. To the layman, "electrical infrastructure" has less meaning than "transformers and power lines". The sessions at the complex have been largely devoted to graphical presentations of findings. The importance of these sessions has been their emphasis on presenting data in a way that anyone can understand. It makes understanding engineering easier through macroscopic presentation of data.