How is it already December???

I suppose I really have been living in my little grad school application cave, but today I have made a brief escape into the real world in celebration of submitting my first application in the wee hours of the morning. There are at least seven more schools I want to apply to, possibly more, but things will be easier now that this first one is done, right?

I still have no idea how this whole application process will go. I can't tell if labs want me or not, but I'm feeling better and better about what I want to do. Getting a handle for things and all that. Enjoying the process, even.

Really, though, I owe a giant, giant thank you to my gentleman friend who has been all kinds of supportive even as I spout my sleep deprived crazy talk. To top it all off, he even woke up before dawn to drive down to Santa Cruz with me for my first lab visit.

And to everyone who read my essay! Muchas gracias! Mille fois merci!