What I learned in Iowa

Hello world! For the first time in my life I'm writing this post using a tablet! Yeah I'm super far behind in technology, I have a sweet little flip phone and I got my first iPod like four months ago and it was a cute little shuffle that held like 300 songs, and I loved it! I say that in past tense because I took it running too many times and I think the sweat killed it cause it doesn't work anymore! Oh and speaking of that, my laptop is super broken right now too! Hence the tablet I'm writing with. Anyways I feel pretty cool. But that's not what this post is about! Sorry I'll get on with the story. This is a follow up on my Iowa adventure!

Iowa!!!!

I lived in Iowa over the summer, a little over ten weeks. I was in Iowa City, Iowa at the University of Iowa. Yeah that's a lot of Iowa's, I know! So, my first impression of Iowa was that everything was so spread out! I flew into Des Moines with my dad and it was not a tall city at all, it was super wide though. That city goes on forever! Also, no mountains anywhere! :( Dad and I drove a couple hours out to Iowa City where I was going to be staying. We passed through corn fields with little two-inch tall corn stalks and I was just super excited and optimistic about the whole thing. Dad on the other hand was just going on about how no one in Iowa knew how to drive. :)
Dad and I spent the weekend getting lost in Iowa and eastern Illinois and buying me an awesome bike from a med student who had just graduated. We also went to church together at my singles branch and then Dad left me on my own in the great corn field state.

I could go on and on about my time in Iowa, and I probably will in later posts, but for now I'll just write out the most important things living in Iowa taught me.

Lessons I learned in Iowa

1. Drosophila melanogasters are happy and friendly little flies who only live to eat and have sex. 
2. The Beatles really are that great
3. Pie makes everything better
4. The smell of coffee will forever remind me of my ex-boyfriend, even when it is an eccentric and indecisive best friend/lab partner drinking it
5. Just because your first Western blot turns out perfect and amazingly clean does NOT mean you will have another one that even works
6. Humidity feels like a hot, wet hug
7. Hugs should not feel wet. Or even slightly damp.
8. The church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints is the only church on earth that has the complete truth, and it has the best missionaries
9. Putting 18 kids together from all over the U.S. that all love biology is an excellent idea
10. I never want to live in Iowa again

Beauty and Truth

http://tete-tete-tete.com/2009/11/thursday-child-butterfly/

"The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives."

-Albert Einstein

Amen Albert! Curiosity is a good thing, seeing things with a sense of wonderment and awe and not thinking about exploiting it, but at the same time asking why it exists is something children are so good at. As long as we are seeking truth and beauty, we can constantly discover new things, we will never be adults with stern views, because beauty and truth will never fully be understood and can never be exhausted. 

Looking at the world in a pursuit of truth and beauty will never leave someone angry or bitter or bored. Just like  children, you will always be seeing something new and fascinating so there will not be time for bitter resentments. There is beauty and truth in everything. Even though Einstein only lived until he was 75 or so, I think he unlocked the secret to eternal youth. I believe that constantly seeking the beauty and truth in the world will not leave you feeling old, but incredibly young and small.

Old people admire and envy youth because of their creativity and zest for life. In the pursuit of beauty and truth there is so much room for creativity, to study and seek beauty and truth renews creativity and relights the fire of youthful curiosity and passion for life.