A hot tub outside a garden of yellow flowers and a grand official building – apparently this is how my subconscious depicts northern Europe.

Inside the building with its polished marble floors, someone was holding a puppy whose head was falling off. They handed the puppy to me and I took off my white robe so I wouldn’t get blood on it. Standing there naked, I instructed the people around to call an ambulance. The puppy, who I realized was my old friend Crouton, looked at me and wagged its tail, apparently unaware of its wounds.

First thing I did upon waking was check my email. I was unexpectedly anxious about the Aalto decision and cried when I discovered I had gotten in.