MATCH DAY!!!

Well friends & family, we survived the infamous Match Day. It was an amazing experience. One of those few times where you can't help but be super excited! I must admit I was equally if not more excited about our friend Phil finding out if he was staying at Iowa (where his gf is a resident) and Greg & Kat finding out if they were heading to Florida, his 1st pick. Perhaps it is because I was just so certain Brendan was going to get his top picks.
Anyway, the day started with a 'tailgate' of sorts at our friends' the Runde's.
We all enjoyed mimosas, coffee, breakfast burritos, cinnamon rolls, etc. Around 10:15 we walked over to MERF to await the distribution of the envelopes. The crowds at MERF were pretty amazing. The M4s and their families/friends, etc. all anxiously awaited the envelopes showing where they would be for the next 3-6 years. I think the tension was palpable! At a little before 11:00, Dean Cooper and Dean Denson made some brief remarks, which, true to form, were humorous and poked fun at the class. And then everyone made a mass move to the area of the atrium designated for their last name. In the nervousness a few people even tried to point Brendan to the "S" for O'Shea - haha! A staff member was at the letter and handed the envelopes to the student. It was then his/her choice if they wanted to open it immediately, take it back to family, hide in a room elsewhere to open it, or what! Brendan immediately opened his and we scanned it to see that he matched to both of his first choices!! Des Moines Methodist for his Transitional Year from July 2009-June 2010 and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics for his Radiology Residency from July 2010-June 2014 After the excitement and shock of finding out set in, immediately I started looking for Greg & Kat, who were SO hoping for Florida! I spotted them heading our way and tried to read their faces - finally Kat saw me and started to smile (a good sign!) and they got to us and said "Des Moines & FLORIDA!" I was SO excited for them! Plus that meant Greg and Brendan would be working together in Des Moines for the coming year!! Then the same scene played as we all looked for Phil, Kat made her way to him to find out if he matched to Iowa... she gave me the thumbs up saying he had! !!! (L-R: Brendan, Me, Greg, Phil, Kat). Lastly we tracked down the Runde's who were hoping to head back to the East Coast (where she is from). They were also heading to their 1st choice - Manhattan!!! I am almost equally excited about them getting their 1st choice and that we will now have a friend in Manhattan!! It was overall SUCH an exciting morning
The mood in MERF had turned to such excitement - it was wonderful! We all started making calls to tell parents and friends the good news, then we took advantage of the beautiful weather and walked downtown to the Airliner (bar) where Brendan had arranged a big Post-Match celebration. We had drinks, pizza, and watched NCAA tournament while hanging out with friends. It was a great day! Made even better by the fact that I went 14-2 on my bracket :) In the end we put away 18 large pizzas and many times that in beverages before calling it a successful day and heading home :) Thanks to all the family/friends who called to find out how the day went. We are VERY excited for everyone (probably most of all ourselves ;) Now begins the countdown to Match Day 2012 for Andrea ;)