CELLebraTEZ

What a month!! February is always my favorite and best month of the year! This month has brought so much excitement and so many gifts! I can’t even figure out where to start with all the wonderful adventures and experiences I have gone through!! Here’s a quick summary of all that happened in February! February 1 st : Acceptance offer from University of Massachusetts Medical Campus in Worcester February 5 th : Submit revisions for my first author paper February 14 th : MY BIRTHDAY!!! My first, first author manuscript accepted!!! Officially have 3 papers on PubMed. (1 First author, 2 coauthors!) February 21 st : Manuscript published online February 25 th -27 th : Go to Dallas, TX for an interview at UT-Southwestern February 29 th : Notification of acceptance from UT-Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences!! Couldn’t have started and ended February with better news!!! I am going to graduate school and I have choices!!! Next stop… University of Mi...

My favorite holiday is my birthday, February 14 th ! Growing up all over the world and adapting to new cultures and traditions, I feel as though I tend to lose celebrating some of my cultural/religious holidays and still haven’t picked up fully on celebrating western/American holidays. But there is one “holiday” I celebrate regardless of where in the world I live… MY BIRTHDAY! The birthday celebrations started off with a small get together at work with my bosses, then another party at my apartment with all my favorite people and ended with spending some quality time with Stephanie doing what we do best… EAT and CHILL! My Lifetime Valentines (Family) surprised me by asking Stephanie to get me some balloons, pastry, and roses (The perfect Valentine’s Day Combo)! All perfectly coordinated to yellow! To add to the PERFECTNESS of today, my manuscript was accepted today!! I am officially a first author paper! I couldn’t have asked for a better way to start 26! ...

Besides the obvious reason that it’s also Birthday!! There are so many reasons to love Valentine’s Day! Chocolates Roses Balloons Jewelry  Expensive Dinner Why is it that so many people hate this holiday and find it pointless? I find a lot of random holidays pointless, but I still acknowledge them.  Especially in today’s world where everyone is so busy with their lives and so much chaos in the world, why not dedicate a special day to celebrate love!? While I have never had a relationship or a special valentine during this time of the year, I have realized that I have SO many other relationships that need acknowledgement on how much I care for them and love them. And it's the perfect time to LOVE myself and Pamper myself (also cuz it's my birthday and I love birthdays!) Don’t forget to tell the people around you how much you care for them and love them! And if you are lucky to have a special someone in your life, make him or her feel like the luckiest per...

One of my new years resolution was to take more trips (outside and inside the USA). Growing up road trips were my favorite! I love taking road trips and hope to plan some more!! Just this week, I did a 24 hour trip to Chicago! Lots went on during this trip but the best part was being on the road with my thoughts, music, and audio book. Every time I take a road trip I like to make a mental list of songs I really liked that I have to listen to next time. In college, when my friends and I took a road trip for spring break, our number one go to song was Backstreet Boys’ “Larger Than Life” song! Amazing song!! Roll down the windows, cruise the highway at 80mph, with the volume all the way up, and belting out the song with my girlfriends = Amazing Memories!! This last road trip a Sheryl Crow’s “Soak Up the Sun” song came up and I absolutely loved listening to it and singing on top of my lungs! Luckily, no one was around me to listen to how terrible I sounded b...