dgrollmus, I wake up with full-blown tummy problems because I have so much anxiety. I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels like they're going fully insane. Thankfully, no vivid dreams about fulbright yesterday although vivid dreams abound about other things. Looking at past spreadsheets, the UKers should know by the 3/15 or 3/16 at the latest, but jesus if we don't hear by then I don't know how I'm going to cope this weekend.
The thing is, if I get the Fulbright, I can research. I can spend a year on what I have to do. I can progress in my program. I can finish. I can write. I can get out of the department that refuses to fund me. I can show them that I'm worthy of their consideration. If I don't get it, I have to teach for another year. I will have to wait another year to research and to write. And I will get passed over for funding again because they don't care if you're finalist, they care only for winners. I will have to go through this process next year all over again. And I'm not getting any younger.
It's enough not already knowing what you're going to do past May. But this crushing feeling of anxiety that comes with knowing this email might change the entire trajectory of your career...it's all a little too much sometimes.