Artiscence

I am naturally a "risk analytic". I do not take risk unless I know everything I could possibly know about the event and weigh the benefits to be much greater than the risk. Another reason I prefer CDs to stocks, but that's a different story. Any situation that takes me out of my comfort zone is always riddled with fear. My comfort zone consists of things I've come to expect everyday, i.e. grad school activities, work, church and home. Anything remotely distance to this becomes a risk, traveling is one. My common sense gets clouded with doubts and  in my mind, I quickly think of the zillion things that could go wrong. The what ifs, maybes and the assumptions. Interestingly, that is also one of the reasons I travel. Not only to learn about places and cultures, but also to understand that different does not mean wrong . Fear of traveling is like fear of the unknown. We are quick to judge, even hate what we don't know. Traveling has taught me to be patient, less judgm...

Update on Graduate School: So much have changed and I feel like a wheel on a driverless bandwagon. I have switched labs (for financial reasons or the lack of it I should say). In the process of switching labs, I have moved to be closer to said lab and back on campus. Although I am now starting my 4th year, it feels a bit like I am starting over, new lab, new people, new project, new location, new route of getting to work. How do I feel about all this? Well, life is never straight forward and smooth, if it were, I dare say, it would be incessantly boring. So, although, it's not the most exciting period right now, I am glad for where I am. Science is based on curiosity and asking questions and my new lab has a lot of questions to ask. I am starting to prepare a new project and I am learning a new technique. I honestly can't wait to get it going. Looking Backwards? Yes, how else can I compare where I've been to where I am going. I have learned a lot about myself in t...