Thursday, February 18, 2010

The Waiting Game

tumblr_ktwq79mFfA1qzr04eo1_500_large {we heart it}

For the past few months, we’ve been waiting.  Waiting to hear about to about where Matt would get interviews, waiting to hear how the interviews went, essentially, waiting to hear the next step of our lives.  The last step in our Ph.D program is a year long internship.  The whole interview/match process is complicated, confusing, and competitive, and in short. it sucks.  But instead of launching into nerdspeak to explain it, I’ll just say that it’s very similar to sorority recruitment.  Actually, it’s pretty much the same thing.  You apply to sites, find out who likes you, and interview at all of those sites.  Then you submit a long numbered list of your number one choice through your last choice.  Each site does the same thing and ranks applicants number 1 through their last choice (ouch for that person.)  Then, on one, big, stressful day, the computer spits out magical results of who goes where.  It’s all very mysterious, but apparently, it’s quite “efficient.”  Pssh, please.

But just to make our lives even more stressful, the big, fancy people in charge decided to split the unveiling process into two parts.  The first part you find out whether you “matched” or not.  (Translation: did the computer spit out a nice pretty internship romance for you.)  So on the first day, your reaction is either “woo hoo” or “crap.”  Well, after months of waiting, this first day is almost here.  It’s tomorrow.  TOMORROW.  So at 9:00 am tomorrow, we will either be saying, “hooray, the next year of our life is decided” or “crap, we need to figure out a plan B.”  But then, even if our answer is “hooray” we still have to wait till Monday to find out where we’ll be going.  Dang, more freaking waiting.  Our options?  Chicago, Baltimore, Albuquerque, Augusta, Oklahoma City, or San Antonio.  We are reeeeeeally hoping for one of the first two.  (Like a psycho I have already looked at apartments in both of the first two cities.  I couldn’t help myself, I had to do something with to calm my anxiety.)  So, although the computer has probably already finished it’s little matching process, keep your fingers crossed for us tomorrow (and Monday.)  We’re ready to find out where we’re going next, I’m ready to start scouring Craigslist for cute shoebox apartments, and I need to get my closet ready for a climate change.  Plus, we’re just plain tired of waiting. 

Am I the only one who hates waiting?

UPDATE: As of 7:21 this morning, Matt is “matched.”  Hooray!  But we won’t know where until Monday, dang.  Back to waiting :)

9 comments:

Annemarie said...

Hey love! First time commenting and wanted to say hi! I love your blog! Waiting is so nerve-wracking and stressful as is, so I can only imagine what you are going through not knowing where you will be in the next year! I will definitely be keeping you in my prayers! XOXO

Kelsey said...

I don't envy you! Waiting definitely sucks but the bigger the change the harder the wait, and you're talking about a huge life change! Praying for you!

Kendall and Brooks said...

Keep us updated!!!!!!

Pink Champagne said...

Congrats on step #1, and good luck with step #2 lovely!

Juliana said...

Waiting is certainly tough but I know that everything happens for a reason and it will all work out for you guys!

Dad said...

We'll be thinking of you and Matt on Monday. Please let us know asap.


PS "Sorority recruitment". Is that a euphemism for Rush?

Ashley Stone said...

Hey! I left you something over at my place! : )

Mom said...

Congrats to you both :) We've been waiting on pins and needles across the pond too. All of us are thrilled over here :)

Stephanie said...

This post just speaks to my heart because right now we're waiting to hear where my husband is accepted into grad school. *Fingers crossed* we get to move away from Dallas for awhile - we are so excited and it's getting soo hard to wait. That picture describes everything I'm feeling!