broken silence & tipped scales
the application process for doctoral programs was unbelievably (and unexpectedly) stressful and hard. there were many difficult decisions. i went in hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. i felt that if only one or two schools accepted me, i'd be OK with that. but i think i surprised myself, in that i was pleasantly surprised by multiple acceptances.
in the end, it boiled down to UVA vs Stanford. what a toughie! they were my two top picks from the outset, but they are two very different schools/places, and they were favorites for different reasons. they were a lot like an apple and an orange. i both hoped for, and yet dreaded the possibility that that the choice would come down to those two. and wouldn't you know?! i could go on and on about this, as there were many smiles and tears, and a few moments when my temper got the best of me. and there were countless days in the past couple of months that were spent feeling stressed out, torn, confused, and emotionally drained.
for now, let's suffice it to say that in the end, i got a delightful financial aid package from UVA and have been paired with a faculty advisor who i think (and hope) will be good. the scales tipped this way, and i feel relieved and happy to be able to look ahead, to plan and move on.
oh! i did something else today: i broke the news to my boss. we have a good relationship and she likes me, but i had no idea how she'd react. but our meeting went really well and she seemed genuinely impressed and happy for me, and we just talked for a really long time afterwards. now i just have to figure out how far into the summer i want to work.
when change happens, it comes flying at you all at once and really fast, doesn't it? now i need to think about my upcoming move and start seriously packing my apt. but more on that later. much more has been happening 'round these parts, but this is it for now.
OK, i need to finalize my travel plans to san diego for next month (!). but more on that later.
