It’s been an unusual day. Today was the first day of the annual department retreat. During retreat, we take a break from bench work and listen to representatives from labs throughout the department give short talks or posters about their research. It’s a time of asking questions, getting feedback and thinking about different ways to approach various problems, as well as learning about fields very different from one’s own.
In addition to the science though, it’s the event in which the new first year students are introduced to the department as a whole. This time last year I was the one being introduced, barely six months out of college and I remember thinking I knew what I was going to do with the next several years. Now in my second year, I’ve found myself in many ways completely opposite from who I was then, and exactly the same in others. But that’s the way it should be. For me, growth has always been a process of expansion and refinement. I’m excited to see what kinds of changes and refinements the coming months hold for me as I take my general exams and progress further in my research. Not only does today mark just how much I have changed in the last year, it’s homecoming at my undergraduate institution. Many of my friends were able to go back to visit, and I’m excited to see the pictures and hear stories from the weekend, especially the ones about all the ways everyone has changed.
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About the author: Kelsey Hughes corrals flies on a near daily basis, sometimes dissects out their ovaries and reads books once in a while.
