Finals Loom

I'm half way through the last week of classes. Its hard to believe that this year is nearly gone. It seems like it was just yesterday I was moving in and saying goodbye to my family. And now, I'm going to be moving out of my dorm room in less than two weeks. Even though this year has flown by it seems like so much has happened. It is strange to think that some of my closest friends I didn't even know at the beginning of this year, and now I can't imagine my life without them. I am so thankful for the people that God has placed in my life, both at home in Oregon and here in California.

One of my favorite hymns is "How Firm a Foundation", and I especially like this verse:

Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

At the moment I'm just so very tired and stressed with some much to get done in the next year weeks. But knowing that my foundation is not in this world, but instead in Christ means that I don't have to go through anything alone.

I'm not even done with this school year, but already I'm excited for next fall. It will be a very different semester. Two of my closest friends with be gone in England, and a handful of others will also be spread out across the globe. But my class schedule could be more fun. I found out two weeks ago, that I am on the SBIC core team for next year. This is the team that plans the trip to SF that I went on for spring break. I'm really excited to be in a new role for next year, and to have the chance to serve and lead in an organization and place that I have come to care for deeply. Isn't it funny how God's plans work out? I really only wanted to go to SF to see if I could handle being in an urban environment, not to fall in love with the people, and fall at His feet for their brokenness.


Cheers!

Laura

Amendment 1: I'm reading a book called Awakenings. Its about Parkinson disease. Its sort of like reading a textbook, but a really totally awesome text book. Next on my reading list: rereading "A brief History of Time" and "The Universe in a nutshell".

Amendment 2: Did I mention that I can't wait for medical school?

Amendment 3: Ok, I can wait, only because I love my life here at W_______, and will miss it when I've moved on.

April has Arrived

As always, life is moving at a break-neck pace. With only a little over a month left until the end of the semester, school is becoming more and more time consuming. Which translates to less and less sleep.

My classes are still mostly fun. Lit. is probably my least favorite class only because our class discussions leave much to be desired. Philosophy oscillates from being enthralling to being down right mind numbing. It doesn't seem like there is a middle ground for me in philosophy, either I really love it or can't stand the material. Analytical chemistry is at times interesting. I really prefer the theoretical parts of chemistry much more than the lab work, so it isn't all that exciting to me, but it is still chemistry so I am still enjoying the class. Genetics is by far my most interesting class. The labs are very exciting. We have made antibiotic resistant E.coli, tested a potential mutagen, and are now crossing fruit flies to find out what traits are on the same chromosomes.

After numerous false starts, research is finally going well. We have been plagued with technical difficulties all semester, but it seems that finally we are getting good data. Which is very good in my opinion because it means fewer things for me to sort out at the beginning of the summer when I'm doing research full time.

On top of school social stuff is also starting to take up more time recently. But in a very good way. I sometimes feel like when ever life starts to calm down and become routine something new happens that adds excitement. That has certainly happened in the last month.

This past weekend was Easter break. I spent most of the break on campus, doing homework, and relaxing with friends. On Easter Sunday I attended my normal church and then spent the rest of the day at a friend's house that lives locally. It was so nice to be in a home, even if I was only visiting. I had forgotten just how wonderful being in a house, with people of different ages can be. I believe I have hit the point in the semester that I am really starting to feel like wanting to go home. I haven't been at home since early January, four months now. I have another month and bit to go, then a wonderful busy week at home, before summer research.

Cheers!

Laura

Amusing things learned in the past few weeks:
1) Facebook privacy settings are funny things, especially for friends-of-friends.
2) "Uhmm... friend" is a term that is apparently acceptable to use in some circles.
3) Cracking confetti eggs over friends' heads is a very fun activity.
4) Styrofoam $.99 airplanes can be surprisingly entertaining.
5) Nerf gun wars in a three story dorm building are not only good exercise but also ridiculously fun. Just watch out for "civilians" (aka other students).