It has been about a year since my last post and about two years since my last life update. So here is one from Catherine, who turned 26 last month. Since the pandemic, time has felt like a blur. I started this blog when I was in high school. Where has the time gone? How am I closer to being 30 than being a teen?
Anyway, I will start from where I left off last time- September 2020. My cat woke me up at 4am while he was playing and I couldn't fall back asleep. I am writing this while sleep deprived...
September-December 2020
This was the most difficult semester I've had in my graduate career. I had to memorize the entire brain to pass the class: every gyri, every sulci, every coronal slice, etc. I probably had memorized a total of about 150 brain areas. All my finals landed on the same day. I slept for an hour since I was studying the entire night, cried in the shower, took my first 4 hour final, took my oral exam (where I had to memorize 120+ brain parts), and then completed a written exam (which I submitted 4am the next day).
2021
Tattoos:
I got my first tattoo on April 20, 2021. I saw an ad on Instagram for free tattoos. Being the impulsive individual that I am, I made an appointment. It was PAINFUL. The tattooer was an apprentice, I was probably his 10th client. He stuck his needle in so deep and dragged it onto my skin. I watched kdrama to distract myself from the pain, although I nearly fainted.
Since then, I have gotten a tattoo every 1-2 months. I think I am addicted to tattoos, but they were not as painful as the first ones I have. Maybe I will include a pic of my with my tattoos.
Graduation:
I completed my Master's in Cognitive Neuroscience. It was painful and difficult, especially when I completed this during the pandemic. I cried so much. My days consisted of sleeping at 5:30am and waking up at 2pm (except when waking up for my 9:30am where I just logged into Zoom and then went back to sleep).
Writing my thesis was even more painful. It was very frustrating and stressful. I don't know how I managed to submit my thesis an hour before the deadline, but I made it. It is published.
I was very disappointed to not have a commencement because of Covid. I did get a 14 minute Youtube video with the graduates' names in "Star Wars format".
My family and relatives gave me a at-home graduation celebration. It was very sweet. My aunt let me wear her graduation gown and cap from when she had her Master's.
Life after graduation:
My parents pressured me to find a job after graduation (let me relax a bit first??). Thankfully, my PI gave me an opportunity to continue working with her over the summer until I find a job. I worked in an fMRI facility and I got to look at live images of the brain. Very Cool.
My summer consisted of getting more tattoos and applying for jobs. I applied to a total of 100 positions. It is brutal out there. After a lot of interviewing, I finally got a job offer in November: job application #93. I was job searching for three long months.
First vacation:
The week before my start date of my new job, I went to New Orleans with my partner. It is my first time traveling without family. I really loved it there. The weather was so warm, the food was delicious, and the people were so friendly. Unlike NYC, people say hi to you when you pass each other.
New Job:
I started my first big girl job aka my first full-time job. It is like an office job. It can be very hectic and stressful at times, but for the most part I do enjoy it. Everyone is very welcoming and supportive. The only downside is that the commute is 1.5-2 hrs, but I WFH every other day so it isn't that bad.
2022
We are five months into 2022 and to be honest, I don't really have any huge life updates. I've mainly been working and getting more tattoos as usual.
I nearly forgot, but I got LASIK like two weeks ago. I was almost legally blind, but now I have 20/20 vision. Yay!
 |
| My most recent pic with my tattoos. Not shown: back and neck tattoo, the one behind my arm, and the ones on my ankles. Please don't tell my parents, they don't know about most of them especially the ones on my forearms. I also cut my hair last summer! I am living the short hair life now B) |
