Week 4, here we are. SSP has been such an incredible, fulfilling, and humbling (looking at you MOE) experience. Honestly, there’s been so much to do and so much information to process (even though it has been an entire 3 weeks), that I’m still not even sure how I am here right now. Whether it be the transformation of the E. coli AI plasmid in the first week to the protein expression and purification in the second to the numerous (and I mean numerous) assays we’ve done in the third continuing on to the fourth week, every single experience has been so worth it.
Still, I think the thing I’m most grateful for, going into week 4, is not the hour-long lectures or the days-long labs, or the field trips and not field trips (see: broken down bus on the side of the road; also see: bus went to the “wrong Bloomington”), but instead the little moments—the seconds, the minutes, the pieces of memories we share with one another. Whether it’s hearing Dr. H tell stories about her life during dinner or eating Korean food after an (let’s just say) exciting afternoon in downtown; playing President nearing midnight and hearing my roommate aggressively tapping on his phone (excuse my boomer-ness, but he calls it a… rhythm game?) or; calling my friends and family to tell them about the exciting and the mundane; every single moment has been so, so worth it (and of course we can’t forget Pokemon Go raids, shiny hunting, et al.).
Right. Now that the sentimental stuff is over—today is 4th of July! Now, we have to acknowledge the fact that the United States is generally not a very happy place right now. I know I’m not. But today is supposed to be a joyous occasion, and I’d really like an excuse to be happy. Here’s an Instagram post from Ben and Jerry’s that I think really captures my mood: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfjX7_lgl1J/.
Yay! Now, with that out of the way… today, let’s instead celebrate the friendships we’ve made and the amazing times we’ve had at SSP so far. We have Dominos coming later and apparently, there will be some fireworks (yay sparklers!). I’m honestly super excited for all the colors. I really really love fireworks—something about the colors and patterns, and most of all the smiles and laughter during the fireworks.
A side note: we’ll probably also go on a Pokemon Go raid later. Hopefully we all get shiny articunos woohoo!
Now, I will also probably get stung a bajillion times so I will be sure to wear bug spray and such. Fingers crossed!
<3 ok I love all of you and I hope you all have a good day!
Hi everyone! My name is David and I’m a rising senior from Duluth, MN. In my spare time, I enjoy writing and hanging out with friends in the basement.
