A Road Trip to Interviews

My husband and I have been on exactly two childless vacations.  Both were calm, relaxed, and enormous amounts of fun.  Five years and a couple kids later I find myself staring at him from the passenger seat wishing I had a wrench or something to throw at his head.

We just got home from a 3000 mile, parenting obstacle course, "family vacation" road trip.  We embarked on this journey after my husband had the brilliant idea to apply for residencies in the cities where both his brother and my brother live.  He then scheduled his interviews to coincide so we could spend a little time with their families.  Great idea and I was completely on board.  Until we actually buckled in and hit the road.

About 4 hours in I looked at my husband who was calmly driving, completely unphased by the constant whining and countless amount of questions erupting from the backseat.  And I get it.  Here are our kids, reclining in their safety approved seats equipped with more cupholders than our car, an iPad, two iPods, 37 DVDs, a bag of crappy toys, books, and all the gummies in the world.  It's awful.  When I was a kid the only people who had DVD players in their cars were drug dealers and the kid from Blank Check.  Somehow I managed to survive riding in the car.  And more importantly, my parents came out the other end completely sane.  I can't say the same for me.  I'm still a little numb, to tell you the truth.

My husband, on the other hand, is completely satisfied and happy with the trip.  He got to spend a lot more time with his family, something that is a little bit of a rarity while in medical school.  His interviews went really well and the idea of our future is slowly becoming a reality.  His hard work is paying off.  I'm sure the second his wife starts pulling out her hair or downing Xanax like Smarties he'll feel differently, but for the time being he is glad we were with him for this.

And really, I am too.  In those few hours while our kids slept in the car we got to talk about the programs, go over possible interview questions, and stare at the miles and miles of farms in western Kansas.  While my nerves were wearing dangerously thin, having us there helped calm his. 

We won't be going with him to any more interviews.  That ship has definitely sailed.  But if your spouse is anything like mine, they're going to be a little nervous every time they suit up and head off to make a great impression.  Whatever kind of support you can offer is going to help.  Maybe help book their flights, pack their bag, send a quick text or phone call the morning before the interview.  If they need affirmation, provide it.  If they want you to go with them, well...good luck!

-M. Quinn