This is a high stress situation

Alright, so basically the circus of figuring out where I will spend the next 3 years goes like this.

Step 1. Spend weeks putting together a list of all of your accomplishments, which will be the sole basis on which your merits are judged. Except for that pesky personal statement, which is like trying to sum yourself up in 3 paragraphs. No wait, that's exactly what it is.

Step 2. Hit the "submit" button and pray like mad you didn't have any typos.

Step 3. Compulsively check your email every hour for the next 2 months waiting for a subject line of "Invitation to Interview."

Step 4. Schedule first interview in Milwaukee (technically Wauwatosa. Go ahead, say it..."It's amazing how exotic Wisconsin...isn't." There, I feel better).

Step 5. Try to imagine how I'm going to fit in all these interviews, resident dinners, plane trips, and hotel stays...Do I try to string a bunch together without knowing if I'll even get interviews in nearby states? How close do I cut it when scheduling flights? We are talking about snow season here. Should I rent a car and try to see the city or just stick to the hotel shuttle? Which interviews do I schedule for later because I'm pretty sure I'll be canceling them anyways?

Step 6. Iowa, Utah, Michigan State, New Mexico...

Step 7. To be continued...in a city near you.

So, pray for me, pray for sanity and on-time flights and people to put me up on their couch and for my frequent flier miles to add up quickly and for wrinkle-free shirts and not sticking my foot in my mouth and trying not to let this consume my whole life, because after all, interviews don't even start for another month and a half. Yikes!