Back in the US...
Back in California...
Back at Stanford!

I realize that I haven't posted in... umm... far far too long. That ends now!

What is the inspiration? Well, mostly because I was browsing through my friends' blogs and realized that it is just fun to hear about what is going on in other people's lives when you don't necessarily have the opportunity to connect with them on a daily basis.

And also because my life is one adventure after another! How can I keep it to myself?

So, here is the quick 100-words-or-less update on my life.

In early May I flew back from Italy -- a (mis)adventure in itself! eep! -- to Tucson, Arizona. I stayed there with my mom (who I hadn't seen in over a year and a half!) for about a month. It was a wonderful time of mommy bonding. =) Seriously, though, it was so great to get caught up with what was going on in her life. It is incredible and inspirational to see how her life has been turned upside down, in the most beautiful way, since her baptism last november. I can see the heart of God in her life, building her up and stripping away her weaknesses, and it is so special to see that process. Not to mention that we had a blast boot scootin' at the Maverick at least once a week. Yes, I have been quite countrified since coming back to the states. More on that later. =P Other highlights of my time in Arizona were getting to know people in my mom's church. Lisa (and her husband, Dave, and their now 20 month old daughter Amelia aka little Cindy Loo Hoo) is such an incredible friend, and such a blast to hang out with! Lisa and Dave have a beautiful marriage and family that is great for me to have for a role model since I really have no working example of a solid, Godly marriage. I also want to holla at the twins -- Marc and Randy y'all are fabulous! We certainly need to have a pool rematch once I come back to AZ (which, by the way, very well may be this thanksgiving). So keep practicing so that you can keep up with my incredible skills. =) My time in Arizona also was filled with fun swing outings -- sooooo great after being swing-deprived in Italy for so so long (except for an unexpected but oh so satisfying swing fix in France) . My swing people around the world are all beautiful and fun; you know who you are. =)

From June to August I was at the University of Columbia in Missouri participating in the Life Science Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (LSUROP). This was an *awesome* experience -- I worked for eight weeks on my own, self-contained research project in a cell biology lab. My project was testing the effect of this particular cytokine (MIP 1alpha) on cancer cell differentiation. So, cancer cells are ugly, blah cells: they don't do anything special except for grow really fast and take up space from good, normal cells. Healthy cells will differentiate, which means that they have a particular structure that reflects their function. Cancer cells are undifferentiated (since they just grow and grow), but they can be induced to differentiate. If you can get cancer cells to differentiate they will stop growing so crazily, and they will do what they are supposed to do in terms of function -- essentially you have eliminated the cancer. So the goal of my project was to test what effect this cell signal molecule (the cytokine) had on cancer cell differentiation. From previous research in my lab and other labs, it looked really likely that this cytokine would have a distinct effect on these cells. Curiously, it did not influence differentiation. Why? That is another experiment...

The eight short weeks I spent in Missouri were so much fun. I learned so much not only about cell biology and working in a lab, but about where God is leading me in my life. I made a lot of great friends that I am still in contact with, and who I miss very much! We need a reunion here in Cali! I can't offer Trops, but hey, California Love, baby.

After Missouri, I went back to Tucson, became a country girl and a groupie at the Maverick, the King of Clubs! The Maverick (affectionately refered to as 'The Mav') is a fabulous honkytonk, countrywestern bar! The Vince Moreno band plays there 5 nights a week, and they are so much fun. Vince is lead singer and guitar and also does keyboard -- he is a big flirt (always asks me how it is that I learned to move my hips like that, and how come I distract them when I'm shaking it out on the dance floor); Vince is lots of trouble and he knows it! =P Gary is also on guitar and does most of the George Strait and some Toby Keith songs -- he is a tiny man, but strong in that cowboy way. My favorite is when he sings "Who's your daddy?" It's great. Randy is the drummer, a tall, lanky type and super sweet. Glenn is the base guitarist, and doesn't really talk much but he's still nice. Yes, I know all the band members by name and have danced with most of them. I am such a groupie! But it is so much fun. =)


STANFORD

wow.... back on the farm.

Classes--

BioSci230: Cellular and Molecular Immunology
intense but very much worth the work I put in to taking extensive notes on all the reading. yeah, when was the last time I did that?

BioSci120: Botony
yay for fieldtrips to Jaspar Ridge! this is such a fun class. Woo hoo!

Eng92: Reading and Writing Poetry
I have had my eye on this class since freshman year, and finally have the opportunity to take it! My goal in this class is to have all of my poems be spiritual and uplifting. This is more complicated than it seems because the majority of my high school poetry was written as reflection of the angst and drama of my teen years, and frankly it is just difficult to write uplifting poetry without being cliche or cheesy. A huge inspiration for me is Louise Gluck (pronounced "glick"). Her poems are absolutely beautiful and incredible because she is able to be real and vivid but not common, to be beautiful and lyrical but not overly flowery and Poetic ("with a capital P" as my poetry teacher would say). Ask me at the end of the quarter if you would like to see my portfolio. Most likely I will be willing to share. =)

So, those are my 15 units of classes. I almost feel like a slacker taking only three classes, but immunology is a graduate level course and lots of work. I was also taking an Italian Opera course, which was so much fun, but sadly I ended up dropping it because I am working in a lab and I just needed my afternoons free.

LAB!!
I am working in an environmental microbiology lab (PI: Spormann, dept. of civil and environmental engineering) at the brand sparkly new Clark Center! (aka the BioX building) It is so wonderful! Everybody should come over to take a tour of my lab. I will even put on my lab coat for you and pretend I am a real scientist! =) I am being trained to take over for a woman who is so pregnant she is going to explode any day now. It is scary because every day I go over there I think "pleeease, let her still be here!". I dread being on my own with no clear idea of what it is that I should be doing and knowing that I will probably mess up. Eeep! But no, I know it will be okay. I will most certainly talk about my lab later on, considering it takes up 10 to 15 (to 20, to 25....) hours of my week. But not right now since it is getting late and this post is getting rather long!


Dancing dancing, always dancing!
It is fabulous. If I had my way I would be dancing every day of the week. Or more. It's like the story I heard one time of a famous runner turned missionary in China who said "I feel God's calling in my work in China. But I feel God's pleasure when I run." I feel God's pleasure when I dance.
The release, the flow, the connection, the grace, the movement, the bodies, the air rushing around and under like breath through me... the exhilliration! Jumping and skipping and laughing... it is joy!
ahhhh....
So I am doing Viennese Opening (the group that does the opening waltz and polka for the Viennese Ball. Mark it on your calenar: February 27th) and Cardinal Whirlwinds (super fun square dancing group). I am meeting so many sweet and fun people! I am convinced that dancers understand and speak with each other in a different language. You know what I mean if you dance. Sometimes, there's just that click -- that "yeeeeah!" when you're dancing.


Science and Kids!
Eastside Prep is a middle/high school in East Palo Alto -- an awesome and inspired school that really challenges the students to work hard and exceed their own expectations. I *really* believe in this school, and it is great to have an opportunity to work there! I am mentoring a group of three sixth grade girls as they create their own science fair project. I met with them last Friday, and it was so great! The girls are so energetic and curious. We were talking about favorite subjects in school and they all said that they loved science and math. Oh, it was such a great moment, I think I almost cried. If I can play any role at all in nurturing their interest in science and math.... *far away, dreamy look* The girls really want to do a project on mold. How cute is that? So we read a lot about fungi. They are so smart, these girls. I look at them and see just how much they are curious about the world and I see God's innocence in them and I want to do everything I can.



LIFE
...is good!
I'm sick at the moment (it came on suddenly this afternoon, I got all sore throaty and fevery and had the 'you are getting sick' feeling in the front of my head) but things will be better.

It's good to be back blogging! I will hopefully be good about updating later. For now, I had better get my poor sick little body in bed!