Let the Craziness Begin!

I'm getting my bags packed for my first interview which is on Wed/Thursday in Houston, TX. I am definitely nervous for the interviews but also very excited. I get to have dinner at the home of the Chairman for the Department of Surgery at one of the Houston programs. It should be a memorable experience.

In addition my college roommate lives in Houston so it will be fun to spend a few days with her. We get to watch the much anticipated Colts vs. Patriots game together (we're big Colts fans) and the season premiere of The Amazing Race (we actually sent in a video to audition for the show together while in college). It will be fun to see where she lives and if I could picture myself living in Houston in a few months.

After this trip I will be in Louisville, KY for the medical missions conference with some classmates. I'm sure I will have much to say about that afterwards. Then I have interviews in Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Arizona (twice), Texas (twice), Massachusetts, South Carolina, Michigan, Indiana, and likely several other states as I continue to hear from programs. This would be a dream for someone who likes organizing and orchestrating schedules, but it just makes me feel the need to breathe into a paper bag when I try and comprehend this. It is going to be CRAZY (fun, expensive, exhausting, memorable)!! The goal is to have some fun in every city to avoid going crazy. Some plans that I am excited about:

• Camping at the Grand Canyon!!! It will be freezing but a beautiful and memorable way to spend New Year's Eve with a great friend or two
  
• Seeing family in Minnesota
• I've never been to Boston and am excited to spend a few days seeing the sights and attempting to pick up their accent
• In South Carolina hopefully seeing a family that I met while at Taylor that gave me hope that maybe I could handle having children someday... they are wonderful and so fun!
• A few days by myself in Phoenix to explore the area and see if Arizona could be a good fit for me- maybe participate in El Tour de Tucson- 109 mile bike ride conveniently the day after an interview in Arizona with an estimated 10,000-11,000 road bikers.