Summer thinking; define Sophomore.

While summer has slowly been ticking away for me, I've accomplished much, in and outside of the scientific lab. But now as the last week of summer is coming to an end, I've finally been able to take a breather and look back on how this summer went.

One, I've realized that the medical field is exactly where I fit in, where I do my best, and where I belong. Regardless of scientific research, or clinical practice, this is where I want to be. I want it, and I'm ready for the long haul.

Two, being able to catch up with all my old friends in Michigan has allowed me to realize, just how big one person's network can be, and just how small of a world this is. I've shared moments of joy, moments of sorrow, and moments that are just simply...unexplainable. Traverse City on the Fourth of July, watching those fireworks on the beach, reflecting into Lake Michigan...priceless. We'll need to take a road trip again sometime, for sure. To the guys, whether it's our talks about life, our seemingly endless number of games of basketball, or just hanging out, I wouldn't want it any other way. To the girls, you girls are crazy...the good kind. I'll miss the energy and excitement that you guys provide for any type of social gathering. To everyone, I can only hope you guys had as much fun as I did during this summer, it was indeed a blast.

Three, things sometimes don't work out the way you expect them to, but I've learned that fighting it head-on is not the only way to go. I've learned that most of the time, taking that step back, that deep breath, that first step towards calming down, and showing the initiative to talking things out gets the results you want, in a more effective, peaceful way. In the end, the problems solved will involve some compromise, but if you want it, you'll probably end up getting it.

I've grown over the summer. It's not the physically measurable pounds and inches, but rather the intuitive, the intangible, the abstract development of the mind. I've grown as a college undergraduate still yet to declare on a major. I've grown as a friend. Most importantly, I've grown as a person.

Now, moving on from the newbies on campus, the freshmen, I will be walking around campus as the next class of Sophomores. Now Sophomore most commonly means the "second year student in high school or college." However, upon further investigation, it also means "second effort, instance, or occurrence, etc." I'll definitely be that "second year student" at WashU, but this year also provides me many second chances that I will hopefully put to good use. Ironically, another obscure definition of sophomore is a three-year old horse...haven't found any connection that I could use to continue the comparison...oh well.

To be terse,

Sophomore year, I'm ready!