Spring 2023

The grind of organic chemistry was finishing up, I started my Peer Educator life, I enjoyed my major, I got an internship, we signed a lease

Artifacts

I had signed up to be a Peer Educator on a whim, and I was extra unhappy with my choice when I found out I had to go to the Peer Educator retreat and hang out with a bunch of people I barely knew all weekend. I was super tired from a midterm, when we were on the way it took all my energy to not simply fall asleep - unfortunately I was sitting shotgun so I was kind of forced to talk to Sophie who was driving. Somewhere along the ride, I decided to just full on commit to having fun; because what was the point of convincing myself that I wasn’t going to have a good time? The Burger King application, the 5th grade camp vibes, and my mindset encouraged me to let loose a little more. I ended up having a good time getting to know everyone, and I got a hat that I think is deeply intertwined with my being at this point. I'll attach my reflection from right after the retreat since that probably highlights my thought process at the time better than I can now.

An intimidating moment was my first in-person interview. Previous interviews I had done were over zoom or pre-recorded, which meant that I was able to have resources like a note sheet on my screen while answering questions. I was also stressed because I didn't have a plan yet for the summer and I had been applying to a bunch of different internships in several different fields. The interview was also scheduled the day before, so I felt like I was lacking preparation time as well. I think it was a challenging learning experience, but I must have done something right since I got the offer (after an additional writing assessment) and decided to work there in the summer!

On mother's day, my parents drove over and my brother came up from Berkeley. We went on a trip to the Olympic Peninsula, which I had somehow never been to (I guess technically I visited when I was 2). It was really nice seeing them and taking a break in the middle of a busy quarter. Lake Crescent and the Lake Quinault Lodge were really scenic and offered good, easy hikes. Seeing the Pacific Ocean also kind of reset my brain (in a good way).