Somewhere along the way, I stopped writing and publishing because I convinced myself that my words lacked significance and weren't contributing to the betterment of the world. 

Today, I woke up with that random bout of motivation I previously talked about and along with it came the epiphany that: this blog doesn't need to change the world. It can simply be my own little haven, a space where I can dive into my thoughts, dissect every embarrassing detail, and vent about the things that both annoy and upset me. So here I am, returning to my virtual haven...

Reflecting on the journey of the past few years brings a smile to my face. I finally graduated in May 2021, a feat that seemed so distant.

I must admit, studying was not my forte, and science felt like an insurmountable challenge. The world of scientists appeared pretentious, as if they didn't want their research to be accessible to everyone. I stumbled and failed in some subjects, making the journey to graduation feel unnecessarily long. Oops, there goes my rant...

Yet, I hold immense admiration for scientists- they possess the courage to pursue a career filled with uncertainty. It takes determination and passion to persist and stay even when you realise that you have to beg people for money just to fund your research, even when you realise that your hypothesis might actually be wrong. I admire scientists because they believe in something and they have a vision of what the world could be because of their experiments. Science is amazing. Sometimes I think it's one of those things where you either get it, or you don't.

I happen to fall into the latter category, and that's okay. I may not be a scientist in my career, but I am a scientist at heart. After all, the core principle of science is: the test of all knowledge is experiment.

Post-graduation, I stuck with my part-time job for nearly half a year before transitioning to a role in the tech industry. I was in the technical team - troubleshooting platform issues and managing client escalations. I loved the thrill of tinkering with dashboards and webpages, trying to unravel the mystery behind each issue. It felt like running experiments to me.

After 2 years, I moved on to my current position, where I collaborate with clients in the digital marketing space to enhance their workflows and leverage social listening to shape their strategies. Remarkably, a significant part of my job draws on the fundamental scientific principle of inquiry- incessantly asking "why". This curiosity, ingrained in the very fabric of the scientific method, allows me to delve deeper into the intricacies of data, dissecting trends, and uncovering insights that inform strategic decision-making. 

I'm excited to wherever this life will take me and I hope you continue to be part of my journey.

From your sleepless sleepy girl,

Justine