Blogs. This format is still very foreign to me. Let's see how this goes. I was never one to write down my thoughts growing up. I had one journal that I can remember - a Harry Potter Quidditch journal, no less - but it always felt forced for me to write in it. I just remember jotting down a couple of random factoids about my day and I ended every entry with "I hope I get my Hogwart's letter soon!" It would have been adorable if I had been in pre-school, not 5th grade, but the superfan runs deep in my blood it seems. But jumping forward, here I am in my office, age 26 and in my 21st year of school (soon to be 22nd), writing my first real journal entry of my life. I'm a late bloomer it seems. On the horizon I have my second round of qualifying exams looming over me. The prep work for the exam has mostly been completed. I know ~mostly~ of what I will be proposing to my committee. I have the committee members cherry-picked to fit all the many facets of my proje...