Elation

So this week has been one of severe changes. So much has happened in my life this week and I was apprehensive to share for a couple or reasons.

First, it is important to note that it has been 90 plus degrees everyday this week. Thats ok, but the wonderful may wx (wx=weather in pilot speak) had fooled me into believing Norfolk summers weren't that bad. Long story short, its too hot here already.

Second, wick and I ripped apart my 5.5 so that I could get the frame powder coated. Sweet. Had to pack up the indy and my other mtn bike to be shipped with my household goods. I sold my motorcycle and really thought about what to do about my quiver of bikes. Considering I am not going to be working for the next 2 years, I prob should take it easy with toys in general. Plus, my health insurance is going to be expensive so I determined that owning/operating a motorcycle prob wasnt the smartest thing in the world. Anyway, I sold it, got a great price and am happy to report that I acquired 3 months rent in the sale. But I seriously consider myself a rider. Thinking about the manner in which I will identify myself, I have never really considered myself a motorcyclist, but I have always considered myself a bike rider. So I am not going to divorce myself from my bikes just because I am concerned about unemployment. I really need to have some kind of identity staying power in this transformation. Long story longer, I feel good about selling the moto and keeping most of my bikes.

So, while I was tearing apart the 5.5 mountain bike, I should have been packing and sorting because the next morning the packers were coming. I needed to keep separate anything I needed in the next 2 months. This task is more difficult than one might consider. Stayed up until 3 and then getting up at 6 allowed me to complete that task. Packers were slow. Rode the Great Bridge ride and participated in the drama (read here). It was a really good ride.

The next day movers were exceedingly slow. I said goodbye to the longwood house and sat in the empty living room for a while enjoying what will surely be the last time I command that kind of square footage. It was good.

I then received an email from Columbia. After being placed on the wait list, the NewYorkers deemed that I was not qualified or special enough to enter their fall full time MBA class. No one likes rejection and I contemplated that event for quite some time. There have been these pivotal moments in my life where events like this have happened. I honestly believe that it is the manner in which you react to this kind of news that defines who you are. I was upset, not at the school, but mostly at myself feeling that I could have prepared differently. However, as most of you know, I have other irons in the fire. God works in mysterious ways, and seriously, not 6 hours later, I received a phone call from Pete Johnson, director of the Haas School of Business (Berkeley) Admissions. He informed me that I was chosen to be a Maxwell Fellow. I was elated and nearly messed my pants.

Brian and Jennifer Maxwell are the founders of PowerBar. I wrote the essays for this scholarship two days after my helicopter rescue incident in Austria. Chris and I had some serious time to kill on questionable trains to Prague. I wrote the essays considering that I was already into the school and had nothing to lose. I had recently turned down 1/2 tuition at UVA and was staring an $8K helo bill in the face. I was worried about finances. So I wrote the essays with a decent amount of passion and in a voice which would be successful, or a dismal failure. I guess the selection committee read my essays on a wed afternoon after a company catered happy lunch. I was informed that I was one of 6 finalists 2 weeks ago. So, the moving out of the house, packing my life, finding a place to live, building the new road bike, shipping off the Scott, racing, and life in general were what I was doing, but thinking about the possibility of earning/winning that scholarship were always at the forefront of my thoughts. I still cant believe I won.

And what a cool company. I'm a rider and I know that fact made a difference. I talked about how riding helps to define my ambitions and work ethic and desires. I am so thankful for the opportunity.

Now all that I have to do is teach myself advance quantitative excel analysis before summer session begins and do a whole bunch of relaxing.

I look forward to this weekend. State Crit champs and 23 mile time trial. You never know.