Minneapolis

We arrived home yesterday from Minnesota around 11 pm or so. I was beat seeing as how I got pretty damn drunk with Jake and his girlfriend, Tara, last night and didn't manage to get to bed until 3 am or so. Getting to bed so late wouldn't have been so bad except I had to get up early to go meet my fabulous friend Rosa at the Mall of America and was hungover. Being hungover and having shit to do isn't too horrible until you do something really stupid like go on a very bumpy car ride from one side of Minneapolis to another after taking an Ibuprofen on an empty stomach. This, of course,resulted in me getting sick all over the side of my mother's card and spend the rest of the day thinking about the puke that is frozen solid on the passenger side of the car. Classy.

Seeing Jake was awesome. I wasn't sure what it was going to be like seeing one of my friends after not seeing him for over a year, but it was fine. I was just happy to see him and really happy to see him happy. In fact, he seemed the happiest I've ever seen him.

Rosa was Rosa: smart, caring, and amazing. She and Brian are both people I think I'll stay in contact with for years, despite possibley not seeing them very often. I decided that once I get my graduate school applications in I'm going to head to Minneapolis to see her to celebrate. That means I should be back up there in late February.

Speaking of graduate school applications, I need to get started my essays and revamping my resume. It's funny; I haven't been struck with the self doubt that typical plagues me in situations that require me to take the first step toward doing something that will radically change my life. This could be interpreted one of two ways: either I must be really sure I'm doing exactly the right thing or (gasp) am actually gaining some self confidence.

As it stands I'm looking at 4 schools: Carnegie Mellon (in Pittsburgh), Marquette (Milwaukee), Brandeis (Boston), and the University of Minnesota. The first three all have Peace Corps Fellows programs. I think I'll definately get into the University of Minnesota and because I've been corresponding with an associate dean at CMU about their Fellows program I think I run a very good chance of getting into CMU. Up until about 4 weeks ago I was set on going there and then I got this e-mail about a program at Marquette and since then I've been reconsidering my options. I have a feeling if I get into both CMU and Marquette (and each offers me a good financial aid package) I'm going to end up sitting down with a pen and paper and literally making up a list of pros and cons for each and deciding that way. I hate making big decisions like that because I obsess over them and drive everyone around me fucking crazy. We'll see how it all plays itself out.