Quoted here, from my diary, without comment:

Saturday, May 1, 1998 — I think that I decided that I want to be an astronaut today. I know that sounds odd, especially since I’m already 26 years old and “grown up”. But I was browsing some of NASA’s web today and found their astronaut candidate program pages. I know I don’t have a chance in hell to qualify. And I’m not kidding myself. It was only a daydream… but… I certainly may not make it. But think of what I can do for myself by trying. I can put myself into outstanding mental and physical condition. I can try to learn new things with a real heroic goal in mind. And as long as I remain realistic from the start (my chances are extraordinarily slim) I can’t lose. I’ll come out a far better person than I went in no matter what.