Quick summary: Biked/bused to work, had 3 hours of EHS training, grabbed lunch with everyone, did online training until around 3/330 when my computer died, sent it in to be fixed, chilled in lab with Josh until around 5, biked/bused back, cooked/ate dinner with Lucy, grabbed some items at Target, showered and blogging!
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Second day of work today! Didn't do much - it was mostly training... I'm both ridiculously excited and scared for actual labwork haha. It's going to be so amazing and I feel like I'm going to learn so much, but at the same time, I'm really worried about all of the independence I have and the responsibility.
Seriously, I'm 18 years old and just finished my freshman year in college. I have no prior research experience or publications, awards, related recommendations to my name. I'm almost tempted to ask Josh why he chose me, but I feel like that would be improper.
Josh is honestly awesome though. He's such a chill guy. There's pretty much no pressure to get things done perfectly - he's completely understanding that I'm new at all of this and doesn't expect that I'll immediately comprehend everything or be able to do it on my own. At the same time, I almost wish he would just tell me what to do and shove me in the lab. He basically told me to come to work and leave whenever I wanted. I do suppose I need to finish my training first, but hearing about the other interns in lab already makes me a bit worried. It's only the second day! Haha, granted Lucy hasn't been in lab yet either, so it might just be an experience thing. I'm ridiculously blessed to have Josh as my manager though. He's a really funny guy and just makes you feel at ease.
He told me an amazing story about his very first day in a research lab, his sophomore year of college. Apparently the professor essentially told him he was sharing a hood with a guy named Rick, and that was all the instruction he got. He asked Rick what to do, and got a piece of paper with a reaction in return. Though he should make a lot of whatever it was he was making, so he prepped everything in a 3 liter container, shoved it in the fume hood, closed the sash, and left for the night. He came back the next day with the fume hood completely demolished, everything inside incinerated, the walls and ceilings black with soot/smoke, and safety officers cleaning up his reaction, which was now all over the lab. Basically, sometime during the night, his 3 liter reaction exploded.
In any case, I figure I (hopefully) won't mess up that badly, right? (We would have *major* problems if we did...)
Lucy and I made dinner! Penne pasta with marinara sauce, sausage, and assorted greens. Plus some beef her mom had prepared and strawberries! Not too bad for our first try haha.
I've being doing a lot of thinking recently. About love, selfishness, understanding. I've grown so much this year, but I have miles, light-years yet to go. I have so much to learn and more importantly, so much to apply. I'm completely overwhelmed by my inadequacy and His grace and blessings.
I have so many flaws and faults. My impatience, my envy, my seemingly contradictory problems of sloth and excessive planning... Not carrying through with personal plans/goals... Being complacent.
I am worth nothing. But yet I am given His love. If only I could love others in a way which reflects His wonderful love - accept, forgive, and embrace them as He did me. It's something I'll forever have to work on. I can only pray that with His help, each day I'll be a little closer to being able to do so.
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On another note, while a lot of my reflection is done on my blog, a lot of it is done just in my head now too. Please forgive me if my blog posts seem a bit lackluster or halfhearted. I just generally want to get to reading the Word and Tim Keller's books. I realize this is a great part of my growth as well though, and in my effort to be transparent, it is something that I shouldn't put to the side. I suppose I just have to get better at managing my time. Thanks for understanding. =]
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