Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you.

It's hard to believe that in 2003, the band Paramore was getting their start, and the lead singer, Hayley Williams, was the same age as me. BUT I STILL LOVE THEM, and their recent song "Still Into You". Listen to it.

Paramore - Still Into You

I like fun songs. They make me want to dance around the lab, in my room, in my car... wherever.

This song obviously is speaking about how the singer is still into "you", which is most likely another person/significant other. It's cute, and I like the song for that reason. You gotta love cute love songs.

However, I'm also going to put this song with my undying love for chemistry. I know that I always complain about how bad chemistry is, and how much I hate it. But with only 16 days until my candidacy exam, I can be honest with myself: I LOVE CHEMISTRY. and I'm still into it. For reals.

If I didn't still love chemistry, I wouldn't pull late nights and all nighters. I wouldn't be mad when the kids in my recitation just want to get an easy A, and doesn't care about how to arrow push or why a mechanism is the way it is. Why reactions happen theoretically but not entirely the same way in real conditions. I wouldn't be able to freak out and be calm at the same time while preparing for my big exam. It wouldn't matter why a reaction didn't work, even though I followed the protocol.

Chemistry is wonderful, and I want everyone to know it. Especially when it works, but that's beside the point. I want my PhD in chemistry, because I love the subject. Organic, biochemistry, analytical, inorganic, even physical... it's all fascinating how you can explain the world around you. How specific chemical reaction converts oxygen to carbon dioxide; how theory can be calculated and explain experimental results... it's all so fascinating.

So yes, chemistry, I'm still into you, after all this time.

(Come talk to me in 15 days and see if I've changed my tune)

Most of the other 3rd years in my program have been passing their candidacy exams, so let's hope this trend continues for when it comes to my talk. :) :)

Back to my photochemistry experiments!