It’s already been over 15 days since I arrived at ARU in Cambridge, and I’m really enjoying it here. I have my own workstation and a very spacious desk. I’ve already met several colleagues. There’s a nice tradition here on Wednesdays: in a small room, tea and coffee with pastries are served. It’s a great way to chat with others and take a break from the daily routine. There are other things I wasn’t used to, like a break area right next to the office. There are tables where you can have lunch comfortably, microwaves to heat up your food, a mini fridge, a sink to wash your cutlery, and a drinking water dispenser. All these things make working hours much more enjoyable. Work is going well, even though every day new bureaucratic forms seem to pile up, but that’s just part of the process. The sooner I get all that done, the sooner I can dedicate myself 100% to my project—not that I’ve been neglecting it! I’ve just completed a long systematic review of several articles, and together with my supervisor, we are thinking about how to handle the data. Meanwhile, I’m organising the methodological part of the project in detail for the fieldwork, and studying hard to be ready and quick to respond to any problem that may arise. In the middle of all this, last weekend I had the chance to visit Charles Darwin’s House—one of the most famous naturalists to whom we truly owe a lot.

I went with my best friend Martina, and it was a truly exciting and emotional journey. Unfortunately, it wasn’t allowed to take photos inside the rooms, but I can tell you that the figure that emerges is that of a man almost out of place for his time. An unconventional father, very close to his wife and children, dedicated to education but also very fond of play. Among the many objects on display, I was able to see an original volume of the first print of “On the Origin of Species,” along with two original pages of the notes that eventually led to the final draft. Seeing that book in front of me was amazing. It’s a text that truly revolutionised history and science. C. Darwin took a long time to create the final version because he wanted to be sure he had every possible piece of evidence to support his theory. It had to be bulletproof to convince the scientific community, which at the time was extremely religious. The outside of the house is beautifully preserved; the huge garden has an area dedicated to growing fruit and vegetables, which are sold to visitors or used in the onsite café.

Of course, we enjoyed a tea break!

There’s also a beautiful collection of carnivorous plants next to what used to be Darwin’s laboratory. Every visitor is given a very detailed audio guide, covering both the inside and outside areas, and—surprise, surprise—part of the narration is by the great Sir David Frederick Attenborough! We finished the visit with a long walk along the path Darwin himself used when reflecting on his most important works.

It was a wonderful day that gave me a breath of fresh air and new energy to continue my scientific journey.

See you soon!