2010

I can't believe it really is 2010.
A new decade.
It seems to me that 2005 was only moments ago, regardless of the fact that I am still so young. I remember realizing that I would probably graduate from college in 2011, and I also remember that year sounding like an eternity away.
Someday, will people call this the tens? the teens? Who even knows? I don't.

All that really seems to be on my mind lately is what is to come. I am constantly planning. Trying to be efficient and figure my life out. At the same time, I get a thrill from the fact that I really just don't know what I will be doing with my life a year from now. Will I get into PA school for the summer? Will I stay in Michigan? Will I travel?
I am semi-stressed about my senior project that I have to propose by April 1. At least I have a professor to work with now-that is a major step. I have a 4th meeting with him tomorrow to be trained on some things in the lab. At this point, I have no idea what is going on. I just smile as he goes on excitedly about all the proposed plans he has. "...and so you take the transposons.... and we can run a polymerase chain reaction.... Drosophila this... Drosophila that..."
I will have it figured out someday, I suppose. Hopefully my time this semester cleaning out test tubes of dead flies and learning how to run tests will give me a push in the right direction.

One thing I have been wondering. What is the origin of the word hardly? I suppose I could look it up, but it makes no sense. It seems like the word should mean harshly. Or maybe with great vigor. Not barely. That makes no sense.

Overall, I am beaming about life right now. I am so lucky to have the life I was blessed with.
I can't believe how selfish I can be. People in America have such great lives. We have such luxury; so many choices.

Which reminds me of a study my mom told me about where a group of people could choose one poster to keep that was presented to them. Half the participants were told that they were not allowed to switch posters, and the other half were told that they could.
In the end, guess who was happier?
The people who were forced to keep their first choice.

So maybe choice and opportunity aren't always a blessing. But I still think we need to remind ourselves that they are a privilege.