Needless to say, I was pretty sad when I lost her but somehow by the grace of Science I got a letter from the Huntsville PD saying they found her a couple months later. Second best letter I've ever gotten (more on the first best letter I've ever gotten later). I've since spent the summer restoring her and these are the results!
Candy Orange Paint Job!
It's more or less finished, I only have to add some chrome trim on the tank and finish taking the red paint off of the engine!
What else, what else...OH! A little over a month ago, I got the call I've been waiting for since second grade--I was accepted by the University of South Alabama College of Medicine as a matriculant in the Class of 2014. I'll be heading down in about two weeks to begin studies in their MD program. I really wasn't expecting to get in this year, I had even retaken (and done well on, IMHO) the MCAT. Everything I've done in the past few years has been aiming towards this goal, and somehow I've managed to achieve it. I have the feeling that sometime in the following months I'll be wondering what the hell I've gotten myself into, but for now I'm basking in my naïve glory. I'm pretty excited about the change of scenery and definitely about being back in school--retail work really wasn't for me.
I'll tell you, there's only one thing that could somehow dampen acceptance to medical school, and that's getting letters from other programs asking me to apply(since I retook the MCAT and did better). I've gotten letters from the University of Alabama School of Medicine MD/PhD program and Duke University programs, asking me to apply due to my score. Considering I was flat-out rejected form UASOM this year, I was shocked that they want me to apply for a fully-funded MD/PhD program for next year. So the question is, do I take the bird in the hand (MD from South) or go for the golden diamond-studded bird in the bush (fully funded MD/PhD from UASOM)? I'm definitely going to South this fall but the prospect of a funded education is tempting. I don't even know how feasible a transfer is, but to save a few hundred thousand dollars it would be worth it. I've got to sort out my thoughts on the matter, but for now I'm going to be happy with my current acceptance:)
I'll be wrapping up my work in the Podila lab this week. It's been a very good run; Dr. Cseke is an incredible PI who drives for results. He doesn't stand over my shoulder, but he's guided me to two future publications and possibly several more. We've determined that some species are invasive and that others are not; this has extreme implications for nurseries around the nation. Currently, we're working on RAMBO, or Rapid Automatic Molecular Barcode Observation--this is a modification of HudsonAlpha's iCubate system. Long story short, this system will enable USDA employees to take a small sample of tissue and determine its invasiveness. At the moment, I'm training my replacements. I'm sad that I'm leaving; it's actually been hard having to tell Dr. Cseke that I'm leaving (I was going to turn the project into a Master's degree if I didn't get in this year). But medical school is what I've wanted essentially all of my life, and it's where I belong.
At the moment, I'm trying to figure out moving. I'm planning on taking a cross-country road trip before moving. I'm hitting up Michigan to see Grandma, then out to Iowa City to see Andy, then to Lincoln, NE to see Nathan, then ending up in Denver, CO to see my grandparents on Dad's side. The trip is about 3,000 miles round trip and I'm looking forward to it. It's definitely the longest undertaking I've ever done, but I really need to see the people who have been pulling for me my entire life before holing up in med school.
Back to moving, I'm going to get some boxes this evening and start packing up. I've done a crazy eBay blitzkrieg to get rid of stuff I don't want to cart to Mobile (and also to make some money). My plan is to get a moving truck and pack the bike and all my stuff into it. They have a car dolly, and supposedly I can haul my car behind the truck. This way, I don't have to worry about driving back and getting the car or the bike. We'll see how well that works out.
I'm very proud of my sister. She's pulled herself up and gotten a job, a car, and an apartment. She's an incredible person and I'm very impressed by her independence. Since she has been out of the house, we've gotten to spend much more time together and I am very proud of the woman she's become. I'm sad to leave her in HSV, but at the same time I'm incredibly confident that she doesn't need me or anybody else to make it on her own.
Nathan, I'll see you in a few weeks. It was great seeing you in Nebraska, and like Kelsey, I'm very proud of the scientist you've become. Seeing your work and your lab really makes me realize that the research I've been doing is quite basic--you're a full-blown scientist and I'm proud to have you as my brother. Even if you never read this, I hope you know how much respect I have for you and that I often look back at our childhood with fond memories. I've always wanted to be like you, to impress you, and to be here for you. Maybe one day we'll be colleagues, but for now I'm proud to have you as my brother.
I think that about sums up life at this point. It's definitely going to be hard moving away from the people who have been my life up to this point--my best friends and colleagues are here in Huntsville (they're moving too!)but it's time to move up and out. We'll see where the next few weeks, months, and years take me--I am excited about meeting new people and becoming a physician.
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