And that's that.

Amid the shouts and tears of other med students, we opened our envelope. And it was Phoenix.

While slightly disappointed (I was hoping for a longshot Salt Lake City, and part of me wanted to stay home), I'm happy to move on with life and begin planning. All this wondering about where I'd live really distracted me from the whole wedding thing.

Mindy is used to bouncing around from town to town, but I'm a Portlander. It'll be sad to leave, but it'll be nice to live in a scorching wasteland for a few years. Maybe we'll set goals, like trying to eat out at every chain restaurant known to man. Maybe I can walk down to the local strip mall and read. We'll have to get little boots for our dog, Athena, because her feet might cook onto the pavement.

Public thanks to Dan Gibson and Bryan Catherman, from Phoenix and Salt Lake, respectively. They've been extremely kind in offering their assistance and support wherever we go. Now Dan actually has to live up to it. Also, thanks to the kind words and prayers from our readers. There's a lot worse going on in the world than moving to a new city, so we appreciate your thought.

Mindy is happy with the draw, and she'll be part of a great, up-and-coming pediatrics program at Phoenix Children's Hospital. They actively recruited her, which meant a lot because they recognize what a great doctor she's going to be.

I'm going to need the Collective to remind me of home.