It still doesn’t feel real yet, but I’m less than a week away from officially being a Startup Institute graduate. In two months’ time I left everyone and everything I knew, quit my job, moved five states away, signed a lease on a new apartment in a new city with a new roommate, and started an intensive career accelerator program with 32 strangers who have become my closest friends and potential future colleagues. October 21st (day one of SIC) feels like both a lifetime ago, and just yesterday.

Next Tuesday, the inaugural class of Startup Institute Chicago will stand in front of hundreds of hiring managers, investors, co-founders, mentors and startup community members to tell our stories in 60-second pitches. If you’re wondering what it feels like to be sprinting full speed ahead toward a terrifying finish line, check my post on the SI blog today.

And then come back and wish me luck. ‘Cause after this, the only thing left – is finding the dream job I moved here for.