Before and after great events

There is no doubt that some events in our lifes can made the difference. These events mark a line, before and after which you can feel a big change. I would like to share two of these events that promoted a change in my life. One is related with ants and the other with bikes, as you can imaging.

Before and after the Ant course

On August 2009 I was accepted in the Ant Course. But, the story had began two years before this date. One of my fellows of the laboratory, Maria del Mar Beaumont, adviced me about the great experience that she had when she participated in Ant Course on 2007. So, I began to save some money and on the first semester of 2009 I did a new course of English, mainly to up date my spoken english. Finally, the day to applicate arrived and I sent my application. I was aware that the competion for being accepted will be strong. So, when I was given a grant for station and tuition fees I really feel in heaven. Another fellow of my laboratory was also accepted in the course, Beatriz Nobua Bermann. That make things easist because we relied each other with every tiny detail before and during the travel.

The first thing that impressed me, was the exceptionall organization and logistic of the course. The only thing about which students should take an interest in was to learn as much as they can. For me was amazing to collect ants in the field or to take a breakfast or a beer with those researchers from which you had been reading their works in Ecology, poner otras or any other journal for years. During these two weeks there was only one though in my mind “this is an unique opportunity you can sleep later on so, continue mounting ants and enjoy this time”.



With Andy Suarez having a break during the social hour



From left to right, Brian Fisher, Cristina Mastracani, me and Bob Jhonson colleting ants at the desert

That day we also dig a nest of honeypot ant and some of them tried those big balls filled with honeydew 



We spent many hours at the laboratory attending to seminars and mounting and classifying collected ants. Here Beatriz help me with the battery of my camara.



These are my fellows in the laboratory Zachary and Tritia. I really have fun with them

 
Before and after the Turo d’home

The Turo (1713 m asl) is one of the emblematic mountains from Catalonia, Spain. It is the highest point of the Montseny Natural Park an area 40 km from Barcelona. Two times I had tried to get the top and because of the heat, the lack of strengh and resistance or what ever I failled between 4 to 6 km. Climbing this mountain is one of the most common challenge for cyclist and implies climbing for 25 km with a mean slope of 6%. On winter of 2006 I was alone at home because Pablo had decided to visit his parents in Argentina for one month. One Sunday I got up very early in the morning and said to “today is the day to climb the Turo and I will arrive to the top, no matter how much effort I should do”. Finally I arrived to the top in 2 hours 50 minutes. When I was going down, really fast, the mountain “charge me” my daring. One little stone suddenly jump, this use to happens when your front tyre centrifuge the material on wet roads, to my eyeglass and broke one glass Here are some photographs of my litlle challenge. The best was going alone and probing to me that with decision and perseverance you can obtain what you really want.

 

My happiness at home