If you’ve read some of my previous blog posts, you know I love collecting things. One of my favorite things to collect (and one of the easiest!) are stickers — offices here love giving them out during club fairs or events, and I’ve amassed a great deal. I am very careful, however, of which ones I choose to display. I have so many, and it’s hard to pick and choose my favorites! My computer and water bottle are currently plastered with a ton of stickers, almost all of which I got for free. Here’s some of my favorites:

On my computer:

• Let’s go look for interesting rocks! This is probably my favorite sticker, and it’s something I do every time I go on a hike (I’ve amassed quite a few interesting rocks, to be talked about in a blog sometime in the future). This is also one of the few stickers I’ve bought. I got it in Evanston in the summer after my first year when I was doing an off-campus SURF at Northwestern University.
• The impossible is within reach when we work together as a community. Together with the It is Caltech sticker in the top right, I got this sticker during orientation week. Both of them are statements I aspire to — Caltech is a wonderful place with so much inspiring collaboration, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it. I also view science as art (or I guess poetry, like the sticker says) because learning about the world around me is so beautiful, and Caltech is a great place to do it!
• GPS logo. I always get compliments on how cool the Caltech GPS department logo is! “Labor Bonus et Multus,” our motto, translates to “Good and much work” in Latin — a good reflection of how the people in the department work!
• Obstinate, head-strong girl. I’m a huge reader, so of course I love Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I got this from a friend at home, and it reminds me to push on in my endeavors, even if I’m a little obstinate!
• Locking in. I had hoped that putting this sticker on my laptop would encourage me to lock in more, but I don’t know if it works…
• I am in a charming state of confusion. This was originally on my phone, and I put it on the bottom of my computer since I ran out of space to put it anywhere else. It pretty accurately captures my state (some of the time) when I’m sitting in classes.

On my waterbottle:

• Chemical waste accumulation area. This sticker is the reason I decided to even put stickers on my water bottle. Like my rocks sticker above, I got it during my time at Northwestern. I find it really funny to call my water bottle a chemical waste area, and it’s a nice reminder of my first time doing wet lab research!
• Pasadena rose. I got this from a local LEGO store, Bricks & Minifigs, that I used to work at for a time. I’m an avid LEGO fan, so I’ve gotten lots of great stuff from there! The sticker is a great combination of my love of LEGO and the City of Roses (another name for Pasadena) that I’m living in now!
• The Caltech Y. I have this sticker on both my computer and my water bottle for double advertisement. The Caltech Y has a ton of amazing programs and events that I’ve done, and it’s quite a fixture of the Caltech community!
• Tatooine National Park. I love Star Wars, and I love national parks, so this was a great sticker for me to find. I got it from our house’s RAs, who put on a tumbler-decorating and sticker giveaway event. They also put on a lot of other events, ranging from painting to video gaming, that are a lot of fun.
• Miscellaneous Venerable House stickers. These are all over my computer and water bottle, and are a great way for me to show off my Venerable House pride!