Veritas

Yesterday I fell in love. Who is she you ask? She's incredibly intelligent, sharply socially conscious, passionate, open-minded, has an incredible library, and loaded. Really loaded. She's Cambridge, Massachusetts most venerable institution; this is where I had the pleasure of interviewing the other day. As I walked from the subway along Prospect Street, a wet snow fell as wet as the Gnarls Barkley I was listening to on my hard, cold iPod. After a frightfully frigid 15 minute walk, I arrived at on old, stone garnished brick building to be met by an unexpected warm, unstuffy staff and faculty. One of four departments of psychiatry, this one on the other side of the Charles feels very much in the same vein as Berkeley. Think shiny loafers but Birkenstocks. After four great interviews I walked away that evening (HOURS of interviewing and touring) with a strange sense of urgent excitement usually reserved for children in the last 20 feet of a Christmas morning spring for evergreen-shrouded gifts.

She's hot. I know. But she comes with some perks. Want an Master's of Public Health, go ahead! Access to the libraries? Of course! Want to go to India for a month? Wanna go during your intern year? All this in a quirky, heady mix of intricate brick colonial streets, Indian restaurants, and boba shops.

Furthermore, I'm staying with a college friend Gil. If you know me, you probably know at least one mythical Gil story, but I assure you that he is no specter. In fact, he's got a nice place in South Station, Boston. Its certainly nice to have reminders of years past in a unfamiliar city. I dare say that its a great asset to have a familiar ear calm, pre-interview jitters. From tolerating post-Indian food comas, to encouraging cross-Boston treks, to just sharing Morehouse memories its been more than enjoyable. But I suppose Morehouse (or any decent and socially cohesive institution) will always provide that sort of nameless gossamer epoxy that allows its alumni to pick up tone, timber, and conversation briefly interrupted by 4 years of graduate studies.

In any case I fly back to the barbecue bastion Houston soon, but for now? Nostalgia and veritas.