Hey everyone! This week we wanted to talk about something fun with did this summer. This is going to be semi-anticlimactic, so I apologize in advance.
Grad school is year round so that's basically been my summer. I've gone out with some friends, made a trip to Pittsburgh for my friend's birthday in June, but overall I've been in the lab....working. It's one of the sacrifices you learn you have to make because now I'm getting paid to do research (aka it's my JOB) so I just can't take a break when I want to. It's not like a normal job where you have leave, you basically work to get projects done and if you stop for too long you lose steam.
I also had high school interns for about 6 weeks and that was an adventure in and of itself. It's very different than working with undergrads. High school students have zero idea what you're talking about because they haven't been taught it yet. So instead of things moving fast in my research as they've been since I joined my group, they slowed down. I found myself having to teach from square one and that was kind of cool. I got to be the one to stretch their thinking and watch them learn for the short amount of time I had them.
But my favorite thing I did all summer, was go home! Told you this was anti-climatic. I hadn't been home since I moved to Columbus so I was happy to see Maryland for a change. Seriously though, being home for two weeks without any responsibility from OSU was heaven. I actually got to sleep and just do nothing. As per my usual home trips, I went to see all of my MD friends and spend quality time with them. My best friend, Stacey, came down from Delaware and we went to Kings Dominion, which was a lot of fun so shoutout to her! I also bought Bella, my 2017 Kia Sportage LX that I saved 10 months for, which was an adventure too. Going to buy a car is a lot of work, like I was seriously tired of signing papers and making decisions, but in the end Bella makes my life sooooo much easier so it was definitely worth it. I also impulsively chopped my hair off - well cut off 98% of my relaxed hair - and colored it purple. Oh! And how could I forget I saw KENDRICK LAMAR in concert with my boys! I may or may not have planned my vacation around that concert, but it was AMAZING. Words cannot express how great he was to see perform live. Best Friday night I've had in my 23 years of life.
My summer shenanigans were really just getting back to a relaxed state, honestly. I got to unwind and rejuvenate my mind, body, and spirit before coming back to school to start working again. My advisor even told me when I got back that I looked refreshed, which means I was majorly stressed out before my vacation and it was all over my face.
Sometimes the summer doesn't have to be full of real shenanigans. Sometimes taking time for yourself is what you need to continue/start your next chapter. Plus a chill summer means less money spent and who doesn't love that? Things overwhelm us a lot of the time and we just try to push through it, but pay attention to when your mind and body push back. There is nothing wrong with some "me time".
What'd you guys do this summer? Tweet me the details!
-The Chemist
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