Sorry I haven't been writing, my computer is really dunzo. I have officially spent more than 100 hours on planes in the last year! I can't wait to have a permanent home! By the time I settled into San Jose after this summer, traveling all February and March, I realized that I graduate in 5 weeks! Graduation is on Saturday, March 29th.

But everything was worth it, I will officially be a student of the Pathobiology Department at Johns Hopkins University come Fall 2010. Making this decision was difficult. I interviewed at 4 programs, UC Denver, Vanderbilt, and two programs at Johns Hopkins. I had turned down the program that I had dreamed about at UC Denver (tear) when I realized that Vanderbilt had more choices and would be better for my career. I went online and submitted my acceptance to the Vanderbilt program a week before the graduate school acceptance/denial date of April 15th.

Then..... I got an email on April 13th, in the afternoon, from Hopkins Pathobiology program. I was in a huge bind. It was two days before the deadline, I had technically already accepted at Vanderbilt, and I was really worried about the crime in Baltimore and the fact that both schools' stipends were the same but the cost of living in Baltimore is significantly higher. The worst part was only having a day to decide and I had a test, so I wasn't even able to sit and ponder it all night.

I polled professors, family members, and friends about what to do. I realized I had to go with my heart and the rest would work itself out. I could just live outside of downtown Baltimore where it's safer, careful budgeting would allow me to spread my stipend further, and Vanderbilt accepted a class of 140 so it was unlikely that rescinding my acceptance would affect my ability to collaborate with Vanderbilt faculty in the figure. I called Johns Hopkins and the director of admissions was over the moon, as was I. Then I called Vanderbilt, as I couldn't unaccept online and was offered additional money to attend. This gave me pause because one of the drawbacks of the school was that I would be just a number. The fact that the head of the program extended me an incentive to attend showed that they did actually want me. How strange to go from being rejected outright by some schools, to being waitlisted at others, and now schools are vying for my attention. It all happened in a span of days too! In the end, it all worked out. UC Colorado and Pathology at JH were tied for my second choice schools from the beginning of the application process and I was accepted to both schools and ended up at the right one for me!

It's weird. I felt like my head was going to explode as all this was happening, it was crazy to me that a small-town girl from Idaho, who was smart but not a genius by any means, is moving to the opposite coast to be paid to do ground-breaking research at a top tier school. Now that all the decisions have been finalized and all the paperwork had been signed, I can sit back and process it. I keep forgetting that I am a future JH student until someone reminds me. Besides, there is SOOOOO much to do in between now and then (passing my classes, graduation, moving back to Idaho, getting a summer job, making my first big purchase- a car, selecting roommates and an apartment online, and driving across the US to my new home) that I'm not going to think about it until it's a week before I need to leave. Well I'm half way to earning my Nobel Prize!

I feel like I can't even thank everyone enough. Some people that I only knew for a few weeks really affected the direction of my life. Many times I remember a piece of advice someone gave me and I'm sure they don't even imagine that they are still helping me make decisions. So many people have helped me along the way through emotional or financial support, they allowed me opportunities that I might not have been quite qualified for, and many believed in me and encouraged me.

I will have graduation parties in both Idaho and California so await your invitations. If you feel you might not be on the list for a graduation announcement, email me at brianacoles@yahoo.com. No gifts are necessary but, if you feel the need and don't have any ideas, I've made a registry at Target.com. http://www.target.com/lists/17AL1J48DXQT6