A New Chapter

This past month has been a whirlwind of activity for me! I was not able to do as much research as I would have liked due to personal obligations and events in my life, which I am eager to share 🙂

Here is a quick rundown of what I have been up to this month, starting with the smallest to the grandest changes in my life:

• I finished reading Musashi. The work is historical fiction, and I had a rough idea of how it would end beforehand. This did not diminish the impact the novel’s conclusion had on me, however; in fact it may have amplified it. I cannot recall the last time the ending of a book made such a strong impression on me. I am proud to say that this is my new favorite book (sorry, Don Quixote!).
• On July 19th I will begin a new job as a research assistant at UCF! I am excited to finally become an official researcher for my university 🤓 I also have been meeting with my advisor to discuss opportunities for me to contribute to some upcoming publications. I hope that I can offer meaningful assistance to those papers’ authors.
• I got a new car! 🚗
• Later this month I will be going on a vacation to Greece with my grandmother. My paternal grandmother is from Greece, but I have never been, and I am eager to learn more about my heritage and immerse myself in the country’s culture.
• Finally, I bought a house!

Other than that, I have been spending most of my weekdays working at my QA position. This all leaves me with little time to do research, but in late July I plan to dive in back in. Next month I will provide an update on my first formal foray into research, so look forward to it!