The laboratory journal.

When you have to abandon an old project in order to start the new one.

Finally getting that after work beer.

When you’ve carefully and lovingly designed a protocol, and it doesnt work and you don’t know why.

When seeing that all your agar plates have been contaminated.

When realising that a coworker has an excellent taste in music, and the laboratory becomes a private club.

When realising that it's Saturday evening, again, and your party plans consist of monitoring your bacterial cultures.

When you get unexpected praise from your favorite professor.

"There's no way you'll have the time to do all those procedures tomorrow!"

When you have exactly 90 seconds to get to the bathroom, pee, and get back to your samples.

When your supervisor finally returns from vacation.

When my name suddenly disappeared from the faculty email list.

The feeling when finally reaching the end of a long and hard week of lab work.

When the fresh-out-of-highschool students arrive.

When The Boss needs my help.

Being applauded after the half-time seminar.

When placing your incubation times in staggered perfection.