Tuesday, January 21, 2014

The end of the trail

I'm done with residency interviews and second looks! I finished last Friday.

Here's a summary of my travels:
44 days on the road from the end of October until mid January in
10 states for
14 interviews and
2 second looks

My first interview was New York City in the fall. 
My last interview was San Francisco, beautiful, sunny, and 70 degrees.
In between, I was in a grey Portland...

...and a frigid Chicago
... rainy New England








13,430 miles flown, including my first time traveling on Alaska Airlines, though not to Alaska (Unfortunately they were not all on the same airline so I haven't accumulated any free flights.)
633 miles by train (1 train cancelled due to snowstorm.)
511 miles by car and bus (1 megabus cancelled due to snowstorm.)

Bonuses:
1 celebrity hand shake (Mayor Rahm Emanuel)
1 Broadway play seen starring
Sirs Ian and Patrick in "No Man's Land"
2 knights (Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart)
10 day vacation between interviews to Turkey!

Cappadocia, Turkey
Hagia Sophia at sunset


















The best part:
Many, many nights with my wonderful friends and couchsurfing hosts.

I am so grateful for my friends who hosted me while I was traveling. Not only did they give me a place to stay but they showed me around their town. This goes for long-time friends and the couchsurfing hosts I had never met in person before. Their hospitality and openness makes me hopeful that wherever I end up for residency, I will have a network of friends to support me. Thank you all so much.


It's the end of the interview trail but only the beginning of residency decision time!