I had not intended to take such a prolonged absence from my blog. Three months! I think it’s the longest break that I’ve had since starting my blog in 2003. The longer I was away, the harder it was to come back. I’ve missed writing, scribbling down my thoughts, but the longer I was away, the harder it was to actually write. Granted, it’s been a really busy three months – lots and lots of time in the hospital, my four precious days off a month being used to interview, too many 30 hour days – but every time I sat down to blog, I couldn’t get the words out. The first entry back had to be deep, ladled with meaning and symbolism that would make you all read and weep for my prolonged absence, because your life just had not been complete without my pithy remarks. This won’t be that kind of entry. I’m on vacation right now, visiting my parents and my mother was so excited when I opened up my computer, thinking that I might update. And who can deny their mom anything? So, Mom, this is for you.

When last we spoke, I had just started the whole interview process, I think, for neurocritical care fellowship. Yes, it’s still ongoing. You all were here for the drama of applying and then thinking that I had missed the deadline. Oh ho, foolish Julia! It took until April to even get an interview from a majority of the programs (and I just had another email this past week from a program who hadn’t said a thing until now), so it’s been a rather prolonged, drawn out process. I did take a couple of notes throughout my interviews, but as they dragged on (and on. And on. And on). I stopped doing that as much, which left most of the programs as a big fuzzy memory. Oops. It’s okay, all of the programs have wonderful relationships with neurosurgery, there’s plenty of teaching, all of the fellows are happy and there’s no more call and the water fountains stream golden honey. Or something like that.

I’ve completed all 11 (!!) of my interviews; I have a top choice (and a close second) and now am contacting programs declaring my everlasting love and asking if they will be mine. On June 22nd, my rank list is due and on June 29th, the arranged marriage match will be confirmed. In one month, I’ll know where I’ll be planting roots for two years.

And since I’ve been telling everybody, my first choice is San Francisco. So if in June, I mention that I’m headed to Atlanta, then you’ll know that things turned out really, really wrong (I didn’t even interview there!). I’ll be really, really happy when the whole thing is over.

I’ll let you know. 🙂