Wow, so much for writing every other week. It has been so long that I cannot remember the last time I made one of these. A lot has happened since the winter/spring period so I will quickly write on a few highlights:

• I graduated! It has truly been a fast four years. I remember driving down to Northfield in the summer of 2016 for a tour thinking that I may actually go to this school. Now here I stand, a Carleton alum. Crazy, how quickly things change. This senior year in itself has been quite a time. I felt like I was able to get out of my shell/comfort zone a bit more which has led to a lot of strong friendships and memories. I might have to make a little time capsule post with a fun picture gallery to remember this period... A lot of friends are all over the states and the world; just so happens when you go to Carleton. It was sad seeing them all go but I know that we will meet again one way or another. At the very least reunion in 5 years sounds like a plan.

• I finished with my chemistry comps project. Even ended up sharing and giving a 30+ minute presentation to friends and the chemistry department which was something I never thought I would do. It will be interesting to see where graphene is headed in the future - I think it has a lot of potential. The paper I wrote also was awarded distinction by the department which was a nice way to commemorate the work.
  
• I took a class called Nanochemistry which was probably one of my favorite classes at Carleton. It really was focused on the subjects and area of chemistry I enjoyed as it was so application and technology based. I'm trying to pursue some research next year and think that this will not be the last time I look into this material.

• Living in a townhouse and being off-board for the year really forced me to cook. I had a lot of fun although it could be frustrating at times. Might have to keep a collection of meals/desserts I whip up. There also is just something about sharing food with people that just makes me happy.

Now for the big news I wanted to share and is maybe more relevant to the site. I finally got commissioned into the Navy for the HPSP! How the Navy differed from the Army and Air Force was they required my final transcript before anything could happen. I know it sounds crazy, but I was stressed by the prospects of the Navy maybe choosing someone off the waitlist instead to speed up the process. In my mind nothing was official until I signed paperwork.

The whole process is a long one as I first talked to the recruiter during the fall of 2019. There was a lot of paperwork, medical checks, waiting, uncertainty, and just chaos but it is all over. I walked into the headquarters at Fort Snelling this past Tuesday and spent an hour going over paperwork, giving the oath, and celebrating.

I will not be doing much military wise until I graduate (which is good for school), so check in then to see that part of the journey. Let me know if you ever consider the HPSP and I can give you some pointers!

As for what is next:

• I have about 6 weeks left of summer before I head to Philadelphia to move-in to the apartment and begin school. As this is the last break I have for a while, I want to spend it by relaxing and spending it with people. The anatomy books can always wait - I am sure it will hit me like a freight train the second I get to school; not much I can do to prep.
  
• There are some personal goals that I wish to get done. Mainly working with family and personal growth mentally and physically.
  
• And for this blog, maybe I was being a bit unrealistic with my goals last year. But I do intend to keep this updated. At the very least I will take as many photos I can on my phone to remember what happens next. I enjoy this platform a lot to share my thoughts and experiences which will be fun to look back on. As always, Ta-Ta!