Hi...Remember Me?

The semester is finally over. It was long. It was tough. I'm extremely thankful for this break. The last few months have probably been the most difficult time I've had in my life thus far. Between moving to a new city over 1,000 miles from my family, the stresses of graduate school, losing my dog, and my grandfather's health issues, it has been difficult at times to keep my head up. However, I am lucky to be surrounded with magnificent people, even if they are so many miles away. My amazing family, friends, and church have kept me strong enough to push through. Thanks, everyone. I survived my first semester of graduate school.

Tampa
It is December and the weather is still gorgeous. Enough said.

Graduate School
As you know, I have been taking classes and rotating through laboratories to find the perfect fit. I struggled through my classes, and not having a lab to call home can be quite stressful. It is very difficult to find the right combination of people, environment, research, and funding. I have yet to determine where I will be staying long-term. I have had a lot of great experiences and difficult decisions to make. I have learned many techniques and have improved my critical thinking skills. I am patiently waiting for everything to work out the way it is supposed to.

New Church
I found my church home a few months ago and have enjoyed attending every Sunday. It is a place I feel comfortable with myself, where I can serve others, and where I can be with others who share my beliefs. I will be a part of an arts ministry being created in which I hope to get closer to others and use my talents to serve. There's no doubt that I have truly been blessed in my life, and I have really been working not to lean on my own understanding. My faith has gotten me through so much and I am looking forward to see what is next.

Breaks
I was fortunate enough to go to Disney for my first time, and it was amazing. Even though I only went for two days, it was a great experience. I was able to enjoy a Thanksgiving dinner with close family friends and am very grateful to have been able to share the holiday with great people. I also was able to fly up to see my family for the past few days. Even though it was cold and snowy, I always enjoy spending time with the people I love the most.

I believe I have summed up what has been going on in my life without going into too much personal detail. I know it is quite a short post for not writing since September, but the majority of my time (and by that I basically mean all of my time) has been spent in the lab, in class, or studying. I am going to enjoy my time off and get recharged to tackle the next semester. I am really excited for my parents to join me for Christmas, and looking forward to all the fun things I have planned for the next few weeks. Have a very merry, loving, giving, safe, and blessed Christmas!