Hey everyone! I know it’s been a long time since my last blog post, and I never actually started blogging the last time I said I was going to pick it up again. However, big events have happened and are happening in my life, so I would like to share!

First off, I finished my last semester at OSU! It was terrible, terrible, terrible. I was busy all the time and I stayed up all night so many times I lost track of how many times it actually happened. Alesia and I barely survived. But I’m done now, except for one class that I might have to take this summer. My undergraduate career is essentially over!

Of course, with the end of one stage in my life, comes many goodbyes, but also the next stage is right around the corner. This summer I’m wrapping things up in Stillwater: spending as much time with friends as possible and completing my research project. I’ve already had to say goodbye to many good friends, and even more goodbyes are on their way. I hope to see everyone again some day! I’m sure we’ll all have holidays in Oklahoma, so we’ll probably meet up again.

So what’s next? Alesia and I are moving to Miami, FL! Crazy right? I’m finally escaping dull, dead, cold winters!

Alesia and I applied for graduate school last fall. We picked out schools that we both found someone who we wanted to work with, or at least the universities were in the same city. It was a very long process, and we were rather unfortunately interrupted in the process by our best friend Cameron’s death. We were devastated and trying to pick up the pieces as we trudged through the end of our fall semester and the extensive grad school application process. Needless to say, I don’t think our applications were as good as they could have been. It’s now been 6 months (to the day tomorrow) since our dear friend Cameron died, and I don’t know if I’m over it but I’m starting to move on. Other great friends have helped to fill the void, and I’m eternally grateful. (I’m looking at you Ben, Mary, and Lauren)

We ended up applying to the University of Washington in Seattle, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Arizona State University, and the University of Miami and Florida International University (both are in Miami).

If you’re not familiar with the grad school application process, I’ll fill you in quickly (if you are, skip this paragraph). First you contact a professor at the university that you would like to work with, talk to them, decide if you want to apply, and apply. Then, the department that you applied to decided whether or not they want you. In the sciences, grad students are funded to go to school through teaching assistantships (TAs), fellowships, or research assistantships (RAs), so the process is competitive like a job application. The department chooses a number of the applicants to invite to visit the university. They pay for the trip to the university and they interview the applicants. But it’s also the applicants opportunity to decide whether they really like the professor they want to work with, if they like the school, the environment, etc. Finally, the department decides on who they want to offer positions and send out acceptance letters. Applicants who weren’t accepted immediately are generally put on a second-string list to be offered positions if someone first-string declines the offer.

Ok, back to Alesia and I. I was invited to visit UW-Madison and ASU, and I was put on the 2nd list at UM. Alesia was invited to visit ASU. So Alesia and I got to take cool trips across the country visiting universities. I didn’t like UW-Madison. It was ridiculously cold for one, but I didn’t get a very good vibe there anyway. I guess it showed too because I wasn’t offered a position there. (But Madison is a really cool town. I wish I could find a town like that down south where it’s warmer!)

Alesia and I both really really liked ASU. It seemed perfect for us. Neither of us were accepted. Not enough funding I guess. One result of the economic downturn in the last few years has been the rapid increase in people attending graduate school. Add the funding crunch for lots of departments and you get a VERY competitive grad school application process.

We both were denied from UW-Seattle, so that only left a slim chance at UM. We were quite distressed and quickly made plans to stay in Stillwater next year.

Cue April 1. April Fool’s day. I get a wonderful email from the professor I wanted to work with at UM. She says I’ve been accepted AND they’re offering me a fellowship to do tropical botany!

Is this a joke?!

Nope! I visited Miami a couple of weeks ago, loved it, and made my final decision to accept UM’s offer! Alesia and I are headed to Miami at the beginning of August!

Alesia doesn’t have a job yet for the next year, but she’s looking. I’m sure she’s plenty qualified for a great job :D

We’re both searching for housing, which has proved quite challenging. Rent in Miami is at least 2-3 times higher than Stillwater. I’m not sure how we’ll afford to move, but we’re going to do it! We’re so excited!

It’s sad to leave family and friends behind, but I really feel like this is a natural progression for Alesia and I. The life of academia requires you to move between universities to get a diverse experience. Someday we may be able to settle down, but I think we’ll be happy to travel for a while longer. It’s been a crazy year so far, but it’s looking up! Miami, here we come!

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