It has been quite some time since I last featured a consistently updated journal on this site, but with the start of a new chapter of my life I feel that for the sake of self-reflection, I should start putting my thoughts and experiences in words. I hope that this journal will help bring an additional clarity to my life, allowing me to trace my steps towards a more concrete set of mental and physical goals.

At this point, I am working towards my Master’s Degree in Bioengineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Under the advisorship of Professor Rohit Bhargava, I am investigating the possible application of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to image, analyze, and quantify human skin. I will finish my MS by May 2009, after which I hope to matriculate at a prestigious MD or combined MD/PhD program, working towards a career as a practicing physician or a physician-scientist. I am as of yet undecided which path I want to take - my experiences working in healthcare in rural Tanzania have shown me the truly rewarding side of medicine, whereas my research background both at the University of Illinois and at Harvard Medical School have drawn me into the intellectually stimulating, exciting world of scientific research.

Beyond academics, I am currently involved with two jobs, both of which are teaching positions. I have been teaching high school competition math (usually AIME and USAMO) for Sabio Academy, a tutoring center headquartered in Glenview, IL, for three years. This past year I also began teaching the MCAT for ExamKrackers, a test prep company that specializes in medical school and law school admissions, in contrast to the giants Kaplan and Princeton Review which cover a much greater variety of disciplines.

Specifically, this journal will cover four major categories, as described below:

1. Career. I will post periodic updates on both my successes and failures as I venture through my aforementioned career path in medicine.
2. Bodybuilding. I have been weightlifting in bursts for the past several years, but I have never done so consistently enough to be able to track my progress over a long period of time. This school year, I hope to set and reach goals for both muscular strength and body fat percentage, and I will be keeping a workout and nutrition log to help me track my progress towards these goals.
3. Design. This website has been in existence in one form or another for over nine years, a product of my interest in programming and graphics design which has lasted at least that long. Although most of my web design work has recently been lower on my priority list, I am still working on a handful of projects, which upon completion will be posted here.
4. Sustenance. I have always been a fan of good food, and recently I have discovered my love of wine. Accordingly, I have decided to keep notes for myself about restaurants I have been to, exceptionally delicious meals I have eaten and notable wine I have tried.

From this point onwards, I hope to find the time to update this journal regularly, even if it is just a few minutes per day. I believe that continually writing about my life will help me understand both my triumphs and defeats, and with the help and support of my friends and family I am confident that eventually, I can change into a better, more capable person than I am now.

Here’s to a great year.