I paced and vented to two friends on the phone. I cooked and ate a nice dinner with my children. I composed three very nice thank-you-for-the-interview emails from my heart which I have just sent off.

I feel 100% better.

I really do think I’m a great match for that group; I think they’re a great match for me. After almost 10 years at home, it’s really scary to think about going back to a professional job. And I don’t deal well with ego-maniacs who would step on your neck if it meant they got a better job title.

These people are calm. They seem to have integrity. They respect one another. And they’re really, really smart. I want to work with them. I want to be around them every day. I want them to pick me.

I’m grateful for the interviews, regardless of the outcome. It was wonderful experience, and it also showed me a very different side of NJ, which I may have unfairly stereotyped as a state full of adult-sized party animals who never quite grew up.

So now comes my favorite (cough) part… the waiting.