The Day of Match

I can't believe it has been a week since match day. Now that we know where we're going, it seems like we've always known. It's weird how the way things work out just make sense and seem to fit. This post would have been more exciting if I posted on the actual day so all of the emotions were new and fresh, but I will still do a less exciting post now, a week later, for my journaling purposes. (Why do I always feel like I need to put a disclaimer on all of my posts?)

If you've been reading this lately, you know that this day came with much anticipation. I had planned out in my mind all of the different possibilities of where we were likely to go and had some experiences that made me think it would one place over another. This was on and off throughout the past month. We have always been excited about Wake Forest, but as time approached I got the feeling that we would be staying somewhere West. It seemed like a lot of programs matched their residents by region, so we thought it would be unlikely that we would be heading to the southeast, the furthest possible away. So I started focusing on the West. The week of, I was certain is was going to be California or Seattle. There were a few in the midwest, and although they were ranked high, I never thought we would end up there. Even if it meant he would get a spot lower on his list like Seattle. The morning of the match, Dave and I asked each other where we were thinking it would be. I had woken up feeling good with no anxiety, and Wake Forest popped back into the picture. That's weird I thought, but we're still probably heading to the West coast. And so the story goes on...

We meet our friends and the rest of his class at the stadium for the breakfast. I could feel the excitement from everyone in the air. I loved it. It was such a fun atmosphere. Anna was in heaven because she got to play with other kids and eat scrambled eggs and smarties. At 10:00 sharp they announced they would be handing out the envelopes. There was a big table with a red ribbon blocking it off. They did a little ceremony with big scissors and everything and the ribbon was cut. Time to rush to grab the envelopes! Dave and his friends went and got the envelope that held the future of their life and career for the next 6 years. No big deal.

I am my mother's daughter and took lots of pictures, so I have a play-by-play...Here's Dave walking back to the table with his envelope unopened.
We all opened our envelopes at the same time. Here is Dave opening ours. WAKE FOREST! He's going to kill me for this extreme close up, but there was no time for zoom adjustments!
Like I said, I was sort of expecting a West coast school, but as soon as he said Wake Forest. It just fit! Of course it's Wake Forest! And felt a sense of calm and relief. And I just knew this is what is best for Dave and our family.

Here we are with our letter. As you can see, Anna is more interested in her food than what city she will be attending elementary school.
We traded exciting news with our friends. It was fun hearing where they will be, but it's sad that we're spreading all over the country. Brandon and Nate have been Dave's good friends all through med school. These guys are 3 peas in a pod. Same work ethic, same brains, same sense of humor. Dave has so many memories with these guys from school and we have so many memories together from hanging out and traveling. We haven't been able to see each other much during these last 2 years. Once you start rotations, your schedules are never the same, so to find a weekend that everyone has off is rare. But I know these guys will always be our friends, no matter how far away we move. We're so excited for them! They both got good spots in their top 3! They are both smart, top notch kind of guys and deserve the best!

Brandon and Kerstin - Going to Mayo Clinic for Radiation Oncology!


Nate and Jacey - Going to Wisconsin for Orthopedic Surgery!


After everyone celebrated their results, there was a little ceremony for everyone to tell where they matched and put their sticker on the map. Here is Dave placing his sticker on Winston-Salem, North Carolina!


Anna was really excited for everyone that matched. She was happily applauding in between bites.

The rest of the day was a whirlwind. It was around 4:00 before Dave and I actually got to talk to each other about it. Thanks to all of you who called and were excited with us! We went right to work on our house now that we knew for sure it would be going up for sale.

That evening there was a fancy celebration on the 23rd floor of the Wells Fargo Building. It was nice to relax and let things start to soak in a little. I forgot to take pictures, but we had a fun night at our "black tie and cocktail dress" event. No cocktail dress for me. All of my prom dresses are packed up or long gone. And I hate to say it, but they probably wouldn't cover what they need to cover anyway. Ah-hem! There was a little roasting ceremony where Dave got a little roast for his signature "nod." And then they had an award ceremony where Dave received awards for "Most likely to become the Surgeon General" as well as "Most likely to pimp (quiz) medical students." It was a fun night with delicious crepes, and a good way to end an exciting and exhausting day.

And like I said. It just fits. I've never even been to North Carolina, so I'm excited to go and experience it for the next 6 years. I'm sure there will be adjustments and it will be hard at times and we will miss our families and friends, there will be long flights back here with kids, but I feel good. I don't mean to be cheesy, but I do. And that says a lot. Because I am the biggest worry-wort, and always second guessing myself and changing my mind. I just know that this is where we're supposed to be. period.