There's really no good way to start this off so I'm just going to say it: I've really neglected this blog.
Don't get me wrong, I still absolutely love doing this! It's hard to keep up at times, but I'm still trying to learn. Plus, there are a lot of new things in my life that have made this year much more eventful and exciting!
First, I've had a biology internship on Loyola's campus. Since May, I've worked in a computational biology lab. We do awesome work with regions in the DNA called SNPs, which in layman's terms, makes up the 0.01% of DNA that makes us each unique. Currently, we're getting ready to present our data at a conference in Vancouver in October, and I'm ecstatic! I've always wanted to visit Canada, so hopefully I can get in some good tourist-y things outside of my time at the conference.
Second, there's the writing position. Since June, I've been the beauty columnist for College Fashion, a website that mostly covers fashion and beauty content aimed at college-aged women. I've been a longtime fan of the site, so to write for them was a dream come true. This opportunity continues through the end of the semester.
Finally, I've been dealing with school. We started classes last week, and it was such a whirlwind. I've always loved school, but there was something different when I stepped back onto campus for my last (sob) year of undergrad. Normally, I'm the not a super energetic, super friendly person. I'm usually that person who makes casual small talk with people and then carry on with my day. That makes me sound like a total asshole, but I don't mean it in a rude or offensive way. For better or worse, I'm someone who lives in my head. A LOT. Regardless, there was a point to me going on about this, and here's why: I didn't feel any of that my first day.
For whatever reason, my mind felt totally calm and uncluttered. I actually had the urge to talk to people beyond the normal small talk, which is a big deal for me. I've been dealing with minor anxiety this past summer, so I haven't really felt like myself much. On that first day back, I felt like my old self. It was so amazing. My mind felt calm, and I didn't have the usual 1,000 thoughts running through my head that normally inhibit my ability to talk well. I was actually excited to see people and interact with them.
That entire day completely set the tone for my senior year. I truly don't think it could have gone better! Now the real test for me is to try and carry out that same feeling all semester. Fingers crossed!
Well, not you know what's been going on in my life. I'm trying to manage everything as best I can, but that remains to be seen. I plan to update this blog once a week with shorter posts that normal. Those posts will probably go up on Thursdays/Fridays. I'm sure some of you are crying tears of joy right now, because that means I'll stop rambling so much. It's definitely a plus on my end, too. My ultimately goal is to keep the original feel of this blog, just include shorter bits of content.
Ending on a lighter note, I hope you guys all had a great summer! Hopefully it was filled with tons of great fun and experiences! For those of you that started school already, I hope your first week(s) went fantastic. Here's some good advice to remember through the school year: Stress, but don't stress too much. Yes, school is important, but don't forget about other areas of your life, including mental health. The key to everything is a little balance. Here's to another great year!
Looking forward to another blog update soon!
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