It All Clicks

This week's blog post is a "free for all," and I discovered something great this evening that I would like to share with the world. :-)

As I mentioned in last week's post, I have discovered that I don't actually know myself that well. I am having such wonderful adventures and living life this summer, learning to go out of my comfort zone! It has all been fabulous, and I don't intend on stopping either. I realized that the journey to discover who I really am is not a short one, but possibly can be thought of as longer than the Lord of the Rings journey for that ring.

Around a week ago, I was posed the question, "Why science, why chemistry?" When I got that question, I was taken aback that I didn't actually have a strong answer. I just thought about how I never really thought about the possibility of anything else. And how I like science. It has always just been my niche.

                                   

However, this evening when I was contemplating "why science?..." after a long day in lab, I had an epiphany. My reasons came to the surface while talking to a friend. When I discussed my reasons for science, why I thought I had chosen to go into science, it just kinda clicked. It felt good. Like I was Cinderella finally trying on the glass slipper for Prince Charming. Here is what I uncovered:

Science was always there for me in school. I realized that science was probably my most difficult subject in school, so I had to work the hardest in this subject. I loved this aspect though! I always seemed to be able to reap the benefits of working hard in science! Putting so much energy into a subject and seeing a positive outcome, seeing myself grow and learn more in the subject always kept me going. It was this great cyclic system: input hard work ----> gain knowledge of things that interested me -----> repeat! I feel like my interests, curiosity and perseverance were all delicately woven together with elemental threads of science. In addition to all of this, I always enjoyed being able to physically see stuff happen! For the longest time I was always scared of hands-on experiments. I dreaded actually doing labs. But once I came to college, I realized that I can do it, and that I am not too shabby. Nothing excites me more than pouring two solutions together and "bam!!"... twirling out a solid at the interface of the two layers (nylon polymerization)! I just absolutely love science, and especially chemistry!

Science has just always excited me. No matter how hard it gets, or when research isn't a nice stroll through the park, I just keep going. Something in my veins sets me on fire when it comes to science. Doing research has only reinforced this. I am not quite certain, but I would like to think that I have a slight natural knack for being a scientist, which I have had since middle school. I have always received strong support in the area of science, most especially from my science teachers. Each and everyone of them have encouraged me to continue in some way, and they probably don't even know that.

This may not all seem like a very significant realization, or even like any kind of coherent idea, but to me, it all clicks. I cannot imagine going into another career or field of study, and these are the reasons that support that. To me, this means the world. (And so does chemistry.... Chemistry is my glass slipper).  <3