Welcome back, loyal readers!
I know, once again, it has been a while since I wrote anything. This is partially because I have been quite busy in the past few months. After Thanksgiving soon came Christmas. I was lucky because during the break I got a chance to go home to Hungary and celebrate the holidays with my family. It was amazing.
This was also around the time when I started to hear from some of the graduate programs to which I have applied. I ended up getting 3 interviews and a preliminary interview. After returning to Iowa City I spent a lot of time preparing for interviews, reading scientific articles, and digging deeper into research. I also learned that my poster abstract for the MPA conference was approved and I was learning a lot about hyperscanning fNIRS data. It was an extremely busy and exciting time window.
Then the interviews came and so did 2 offers, that was a really pleasant surprise given that the acceptance rate to these programs is usually not higher than 3-5%. I was lucky enough to choose between the University of Nebraska Lincoln and the University of Iowa. I got an opportunity to visit and explore both campuses which was really helpful in making my final decision. It was challenging to decide which program would be the better fit but eventually, due to the research interest and the closeness of a hospital (and thus easier access to clinical practice sites), I chose to accept the offer from the University of Iowa. Thus I will start my Ph.D. in Clinical Science in the fall of 2024, and I will focus on studying early biomarkers of developmental psychopathologies. This is really exciting since I will be joining a Cognitive Neuroscience Lab (the same one where I am currently working), where I can continue exploring how environmental factors and parent-child interactions impact neural and behavioral biomarkers of atypical child development.
After I made this beyond-difficult decision, we traveled to Chicago for my first-ever conference. While it was at times overwhelming, it was a fantastic opportunity to meet with some of my cohort members and to learn about the variety of research studies exploring similar questions as my interest. It was also nice to explore the city and spend some time with the undergraduate research assistants from the lab. They even convinced me to play the piano in the hotel where the conference was held.
What else? During this semester I got to travel to multiple new states. We went on a road trip to Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. We got to do some really beautiful hikes and drove by Lake Superior. Additionally, we visited the Mall of America (which is an enormous shopping mall with a small amusement park inside) and I got to join a UWC Thailand alumni reunite. Soon after I was honored to become the head of mentor program for the UWC Hungarian National Committee. In this role, I will organize the orientation camp for new scholars and match mentors with mentees.
Lastly, in the past few weeks, we traveled to Sandusky, Ohio where we visited Cedar Point. That is a huge theme park and it was so thrilling to sit on some super fast and tall roller coasters. While the weather was a bit windy and rainy, which limited us from doing some rides, it was a great way to convince us to visit back in the future. We also stopped by the lake side of Lake Erie and I saw a lighthouse on the shore. It was a truly beautiful trip with a lot of fun.
I know it sounds like there has been a lot going on and I can reassure you that this is not all. After I returned from Sandusky I realized that the deadline for another conference was quickly approaching. Therefore I got busy and wrote another abstract for a poster presentation at the FLUX conference in Baltimore. Now I am just waiting to hear back from them to see if I will get another opportunity to present some of the new findings from the DEN Lab. I am also getting ready to wrap up work and head home to Hungary for the summer. I am really excited to see my family again and to see my sister graduate medical school. Only in a few weeks, we will have a doctor in the family and I could not be prouder. However, before I get on a plane (after British Airways changed my entire travel itinerary), reapply for my US visa, and start the never-ending administrative responsibilities that come with traveling back to Hungary, we have one more thing to remember: a road trip to South Carolina for Amy’s wedding. I am still having a hard time believing that my friend whom I have known for many years has walked down the aisle and got married. The ceremony was really beautiful and we had a blast at the reception as well. It was amazing to see Amy, Lucy (who flew from England), and some other people from UNC, dance, sing, and be part of the opening to a new chapter in Amy’s life. It was a bittersweet few days because I had to realize that we are all growing up, going our own ways, and having to find new ways to keep in touch since we are no longer in undergrad at UNC. I most certainly had to battle with some tears. Tears of happiness for my friend and for the reunion but also tears of sadness because I really do not know when will be the next time I can see everyone in person again.