Remember this post? Well ignore the text and focus on the pictures. I always wanted to get married there. Well not always, but for the last 2 years and since I've been "old enough" to seriously consider marriage. Now this beautiful grassy green lawn in the middle of the cultural district of Fort Worth, is gone. Absolutely gone! I didn't visit this spot over Christmas, but when I came home for spring break to show my roomies around FTW, it was gone. It's a giant hole. With bulldozers, and orange tape, and construction workers. Alas, another reminder that almost nothing in my life is the same anymore. I loved siting on the lawn in the unbelievable Texas summer heat on my lunch breaks at CCH.
p.s. it's snowing in Nebraska and it sucks, especially when you leave the house at 9am in sperry's and walk home at 7:30 am in wet snow. At least I don't think it's sticking anymore...
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Recap?
I am back from my spring break. I left the great state of Texas and nearly all I hold dear behind to finish these last few weeks up in Lincoln. May 6th can not come fast enough (or slow enough so I can finish my thesis, and prep for the MCAT and GRE). Lincoln has really grown on me and I do love UNL, but I am so ready to be done. This year has been harder than I ever imagined and I'm tired of dealing with it all. I know I should have some wonderful post about how awesome my spring break was (which it was) but truthfully I don't feel like it. And I'm always one to tell it like it is, and say how I feel. I feel like it was unusually hard to leave Texas. And I feel like the trip was bitter sweet. And I feel like I'm not ready to face my responsibilities or the stress that goes along with them. Truth be told, I'm tired.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
5 Things
1. break-up + the flu = a lot of weight lost! Which is great because, well let's be honest, it's less work for me. I still have some (serious) toning to do but at least I'm on my way, and less of a chunky. Also, I know sizes don't really matter, but it's a great feeling when things that used to fit, don't anymore because they're too big.
2. I shadowed a physician at the health center today. It was fun! He went to TX Tech (gross!) for his undergrad and then went to medical school at UT-Houston. And he grew up in Allen, TX. I still love meeting Texans in Nebraska because I feel like NE is such a random state to end up in that I like learning people's back story and what brought them here. I wonder if my friend who set up the shadowings paired us together on purpose...
3. Y'all know I love all things ridiculous. Well, have you seen this yet? It's absolutely ridiculous. It kind of made my day when I saw it, and then ruined it because it would not get out of my head. Still, hilarious.
4. I bought my brother-in-law the perfect birthday gift today. I love finding the right gifts for people, and I love watching them react when they open it. I'm very excited to see my family this weekend and to celebrate Nate and my baby(est) sister Emma's birthday with them.
5. Almost time for my p.chem exam!
2. I shadowed a physician at the health center today. It was fun! He went to TX Tech (gross!) for his undergrad and then went to medical school at UT-Houston. And he grew up in Allen, TX. I still love meeting Texans in Nebraska because I feel like NE is such a random state to end up in that I like learning people's back story and what brought them here. I wonder if my friend who set up the shadowings paired us together on purpose...
3. Y'all know I love all things ridiculous. Well, have you seen this yet? It's absolutely ridiculous. It kind of made my day when I saw it, and then ruined it because it would not get out of my head. Still, hilarious.
4. I bought my brother-in-law the perfect birthday gift today. I love finding the right gifts for people, and I love watching them react when they open it. I'm very excited to see my family this weekend and to celebrate Nate and my baby(est) sister Emma's birthday with them.
5. Almost time for my p.chem exam!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March 15, 2011
This week is killing me. And I look like a big dork in my passport photo. I really want to pay the $6 and get another one, but probably won't for fear it will be the same woman taking my photo and she'll think I'm weird, or call me out on it... haha.
Other news... I like Greek yogurt! This is a very big deal because I have always hated yogurt. Something about the tangy yogurt-y taste just makes me want to vomit. But yogurt is SO good for you so every few months I wander by the yogurt aisle and pick out a delicious sounding flavor only to be disappointed and give my opened yogurt to my roommate to finish. Now, I can enjoy all the health benefits of yogurt without the yuck-o taste.
Time to study more physical chemistry! Worst part about it is that it's all conceptual. None of this memorizing equations and plugging in numbers nonsense the other p.chem classes get to do. No. It's deriving equation upon equation based on relationships based on intrinsic definitions of variables that include just about every letter of the Greek alphabet. I. hate. this.
Spring Break soon?
p.s. Thanks to all my readers from Austin (there are quite a few! or one person who obsessively checks my page...) for NOT giving me suggestions on where to go while I'm there next week... (sorry I'm cranky due to hours of studying for p.chem and a load of other stuff I need to get done) I suppose it's probably because I don't talk to anyone that I know who lives in Austin... but I'd still love to hear from you! Or if any of my other readers have visited and know of fun places please let me know! I love visiting the less touristy places and going to hole-in-the-wall places so input would be appreciated.
Other news... I like Greek yogurt! This is a very big deal because I have always hated yogurt. Something about the tangy yogurt-y taste just makes me want to vomit. But yogurt is SO good for you so every few months I wander by the yogurt aisle and pick out a delicious sounding flavor only to be disappointed and give my opened yogurt to my roommate to finish. Now, I can enjoy all the health benefits of yogurt without the yuck-o taste.
Time to study more physical chemistry! Worst part about it is that it's all conceptual. None of this memorizing equations and plugging in numbers nonsense the other p.chem classes get to do. No. It's deriving equation upon equation based on relationships based on intrinsic definitions of variables that include just about every letter of the Greek alphabet. I. hate. this.
Spring Break soon?
p.s. Thanks to all my readers from Austin (there are quite a few! or one person who obsessively checks my page...) for NOT giving me suggestions on where to go while I'm there next week... (sorry I'm cranky due to hours of studying for p.chem and a load of other stuff I need to get done) I suppose it's probably because I don't talk to anyone that I know who lives in Austin... but I'd still love to hear from you! Or if any of my other readers have visited and know of fun places please let me know! I love visiting the less touristy places and going to hole-in-the-wall places so input would be appreciated.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
C.C. & GALLUP
Cather Circle was awesome!! And I was awarded a $2500 scholarship to go to Mexico this summer! I applied for this study abroad/internship scholarship back in February and found out Friday afternoon that I got it!. And I was awarded the full amount! This is so awesome because the scholarship will cover the entire cost of the trip, including airfare! Lots of exclamation points I know, but I'm seriously excited :)
For those of you non-nebraskans (or maybe you went to UNL but still don't know) who don't know, Cather Circle is a womens alumni organization that pairs successful alums with undergraduate students for mentoring. I love being a part of Cather Circle because it is so empowering to be around wonderful, well-established, professional women! They are so encouraging and helpful (both professionally and personally). We have a 2 day meeting (kind of like a conference) once in the fall and once in the spring. This year's spring meeting was so much fun and we were able to take the GALLUP StregnthsFinder test, which is awesome because normally the type of assessment we received costs around $750. For those of you who are unfamiliar with GALLUP it's somewhat similar to a personality test (which I love). It's used a lot in the corporate world to figure out and maximize a company's (and the individuals within the company) strengths in order to achieve more. It has 34 themes and after completing the assessment you find out your top 5. Mine were pretty much spot on, and they're mentioned below with a brief description of each.
1. Significance- you want to be very significant in the eyes of other people, you want to be known and appreciated for the unique strengths you bring. your life is filled with goals and achievements that you crave. you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job. you want your life to be meaningful and impact others.
2. Achiever- you have a constant need for achievement. you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. you have an internal fire pushing you to do more and achieve more, though your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. an achiever must learn to live with a whisper of discontent for as soon as one achievement is completed the internal fire will force you on to the next accomplishment.
3. Belief- you have certain core values that are enduring. belief theme causes you to be altruistic, family oriented, even spiritual, and to value responsibility, and high ethics- both in yourself and others. your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. you're friends call you dependable, and your belief makes you easy to trust. it also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you.
4. Focus- you need a clear destination. lacking one, your life and your work can quickly become frustrating. each year, month, and even each week you set goals (soo true!). these goals then serve as your compass. focus is powerful because it forces you to filter and prioritize. focus causes you to be efficient however it also causes you to become impatient with delays, obstacles, and even tangents.
5. Individualization- you instinctively observe each person's style, motivation, how each things and how each builds relationships. this theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift. because you are a keen observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person.
I really think that my themes describe me perfectly. Especially since I feel like the first 4 pretty much sum up my life. I am always thinking about my goals, life aspirations, and how to make my life meaningful as well as how I am going to get there. These things consume my thoughts on a daily basis.
I really loved the presentation that went along with our StrengthsFinder assessment because the Gallup representative talked about how to use our strengths to succeed. She gave us a quote during her presentation that I really like, and though I can't remember the exact words it went something along the lines of "working to improve upon your weaknesses will only bring them to a state of mediocrity at best. working to improve upon your strengths will allow you to excel in ways you never thought possible, taking your natural abilities from good to amazing." I really liked that because I think all to often we focus on what we're doing wrong and how we need to improve upon it when instead we need to be focusing on what we do well. Sure there are things we could improve on, but instead of focusing on how we are weak in certain areas we should be focusing on how using our strengths can get us to the same ultimate goal. Maybe later this week (if I have time) I'll post a two sentence description of each of the 34 themes and you can think about which 5 you might be.
For those of you non-nebraskans (or maybe you went to UNL but still don't know) who don't know, Cather Circle is a womens alumni organization that pairs successful alums with undergraduate students for mentoring. I love being a part of Cather Circle because it is so empowering to be around wonderful, well-established, professional women! They are so encouraging and helpful (both professionally and personally). We have a 2 day meeting (kind of like a conference) once in the fall and once in the spring. This year's spring meeting was so much fun and we were able to take the GALLUP StregnthsFinder test, which is awesome because normally the type of assessment we received costs around $750. For those of you who are unfamiliar with GALLUP it's somewhat similar to a personality test (which I love). It's used a lot in the corporate world to figure out and maximize a company's (and the individuals within the company) strengths in order to achieve more. It has 34 themes and after completing the assessment you find out your top 5. Mine were pretty much spot on, and they're mentioned below with a brief description of each.
1. Significance- you want to be very significant in the eyes of other people, you want to be known and appreciated for the unique strengths you bring. your life is filled with goals and achievements that you crave. you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job. you want your life to be meaningful and impact others.
2. Achiever- you have a constant need for achievement. you must achieve something tangible in order to feel good about yourself. you have an internal fire pushing you to do more and achieve more, though your relentless need for achievement might not be logical. an achiever must learn to live with a whisper of discontent for as soon as one achievement is completed the internal fire will force you on to the next accomplishment.
3. Belief- you have certain core values that are enduring. belief theme causes you to be altruistic, family oriented, even spiritual, and to value responsibility, and high ethics- both in yourself and others. your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. you're friends call you dependable, and your belief makes you easy to trust. it also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you.
4. Focus- you need a clear destination. lacking one, your life and your work can quickly become frustrating. each year, month, and even each week you set goals (soo true!). these goals then serve as your compass. focus is powerful because it forces you to filter and prioritize. focus causes you to be efficient however it also causes you to become impatient with delays, obstacles, and even tangents.
5. Individualization- you instinctively observe each person's style, motivation, how each things and how each builds relationships. this theme explains why you pick your friends just the right birthday gift. because you are a keen observer of other people's strengths, you can draw out the best in each person.
I really think that my themes describe me perfectly. Especially since I feel like the first 4 pretty much sum up my life. I am always thinking about my goals, life aspirations, and how to make my life meaningful as well as how I am going to get there. These things consume my thoughts on a daily basis.
I really loved the presentation that went along with our StrengthsFinder assessment because the Gallup representative talked about how to use our strengths to succeed. She gave us a quote during her presentation that I really like, and though I can't remember the exact words it went something along the lines of "working to improve upon your weaknesses will only bring them to a state of mediocrity at best. working to improve upon your strengths will allow you to excel in ways you never thought possible, taking your natural abilities from good to amazing." I really liked that because I think all to often we focus on what we're doing wrong and how we need to improve upon it when instead we need to be focusing on what we do well. Sure there are things we could improve on, but instead of focusing on how we are weak in certain areas we should be focusing on how using our strengths can get us to the same ultimate goal. Maybe later this week (if I have time) I'll post a two sentence description of each of the 34 themes and you can think about which 5 you might be.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Bad Project.
A friend shared this with me today and it was so good I just had to pass it along. Science majors will get this. If you've ever worked in a lab, you will get this (though I'm not sure any of my readers do/have...). Let me explain my situation first. I've worked in Dr. Choe's inorganic chemistry lab for just shy of 4 years. Everyone in my lab (save one male PHD student) is Asian and speaks Korean and/or Vietnamese (if you pay any attention to the extra's in this video and make it halfway through the lyrics you'll understand why this information is relevant). In my 4 years I have worked on 4 different systems. All failed projects, two of which were passed on to me from other undergrad/grad students that left the lab. Also, this video is just hilarious to me because most lab workers are awkward as all get out. They aren't very social and the idea of any of the lovely but awkward lab members I work with partaking in a video like this is just hilarious to me. I wish I had more science-y friends to appreciate this video like some of you English/business etc majors can't. That being said I don't have a single science-major friend who blogs- interesting because I definitely think it takes a certain personality to maintain a blog and a certain personality to maintain a well read blog (one that bloggers actually want to read), one that I obviously don't have. Anyway. The video.
Continuing with my previous post...
About 20 seconds after I submitted my last post a dear friend of mine poked her head into my room and said very excitedly, "I have your wedding invitation!" She returned a moment later and placed the crisp decorated envelope on my desk and just looked at me waiting for me to share in her excitement. And that's exactly what God wanted. I've been struggling a lot lately with finding a balance between allowing myself to feel sad/upset about the happenings of the last few months (which lie deeper than the few aspects I've shared with y'all) and not feeling like I'm wallowing in self pity and indulging in unproductive emotions. It's been difficult because I can't hide my emotions, and I can't hold things in. When I try to bury my feelings and not experience them it drives me crazy and then I explode into a giant puddle of intense emotions that no one can handle (not even myself). I like to identify what's bothering me, dealing with/experiencing the accompanying emotion (anger, jealousy, hurt etc), and moving on. Tying this back to my story, Virginia dropped off this beautiful wedding invitation that she was absolutely thrilled to give me and it was the perfect opportunity for me to not be upset. I felt like it was God's way of saying here's some balance. You've allowed yourself to get upset, to feel sad, to write about it, and now it's time to move on. And so I did. While to many of you this probably seems like a very trivial accomplishment, it was one I was very happy to make.
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