You win

Thanks for all the great advice about the job application. In the end, I did it. I think the application was a lot stronger than I ever thought it would be at this point in my postdoc, so I didn't feel like an ass when I pressed submit. I'm also really happy to have a research and teaching statement ready to revise for future applications.

It's funny because if I had read a post on any of your blogs that was similar to what I wrote last week, I would have responded as you all did -- totally apply! make the difficult decision when there's actually a decision to make! a man wouldn't hesitate! it's excellent practice! -- and yet, it was a real dilemma for a couple of days because my emotions were clouding my judgement. My friends have always tended to comment that I'm very rational and not overly emotional, so I'm always taken by surprise when my emotions interfere with decisions. I'm not complaining about that because I think it's helpful to listen to your emotions--your gut--to make sure you're considering factors that might be difficult to prioritize in a rational way. I'm happy to be emotional sometimes.

Anyway, I'm grateful for this wonderful blog community!