So What Is That? March 29, 2006

I believe by now my more astute readers (which I assume to be pretty much all of you) have figured out/heard from my own mouth that I have been accepted to grad school. Me = pumped.

I’ve been asked question after question about what this means, what the program is, etc, so I thought I would post some answers for you. Get excited.

Where: Fordham University, Rose Hill Campus, The Bronx (yeah, I’m gonna take the 6 train just like J.Lo)
Program: International Political Economy and Development
Concentration: International Development Studies
Length of Program: 1.5 years

What it all means: Well, it means that I would get to take fun classes like “Gender and Economic Development,” learn how to speak a foreign language (I’m still debating between French and Spanish), and put it all to good use with an international non-profit agency (think Oxfam, CARE, or Amnesty International) once it’s all said and done. It’s pretty rad.

There’s one kink in this plan … I have no money to go. I didn’t get an assistantship and NY is an expensive place to live. Plus, this is a school that makes Baylor look cheap to the tune of $960 an hour.

However, there is some hope. Once it opens up, I’m going to apply for a Resident Director position which would cover tuition, room, board, and a stipend. Yeah, it would be amazing. And a good experience to top it all off.

A friend of mine told me that he believed if God has opened this door, then he believes the money will come from somewhere. My best friend said that she believes this is evidence of God’s sovreignty: we’re human, we don’t have all the answers, and we just have to learn that we’re not always in control.

I’m not going to lie, I have a hard time with both these statements … but I have to believe that they’re true. Because if not, beauty cannot be made from chaos, and that’s no way to live a life.

Pretty in Pink. And Doilies. March 23, 2006

I’m a fairly intellectual person. Most of you reading this blog are aware of that. In fact, I’m a self-professed nerd and that’s only reaffirmed by the fact that one of my top five strengths is learning. I like books. I like thinking. I like a mental challenge.

That said, tonight I was thrust back into the world of the Southern Baptist woman – my mom and I went to a fashion show that was sponsored by the women’s ministry of my parent’s church. Obviously this event was representative of everything I am not.

We walked in and I automatically felt uncomfortable. That much estrogen, lace, and pink should never be allowed in one room. The fashion show consisted of clothes that I know would only be worn by a Southern woman. Now, there’s nothing wrong with that … but my mind still hasn’t quite made the switch back from NY fashion.

Lace. Doilies. Coral. Shiny. Jewelry. Those were the themes of the evening. Yay.

I think my favorite outfit (and by favorite I obviously mean the outfit that most made me cring) was the denim vest adorned with doilies. Not just any doilies. Doilies that made a cross that took up the entire back of the vest. I’m pretty sure Christ didn’t die on a frilly doily cross. I suppose it’s a Southern woman thing. A Southern Baptist woman thing.

My mom shared in my misery, much to my surprise. She classified this whole experience as “meaningless dribble.” I couldn’t have put it better, Mama. She may be a girly girl, but she does like to be constructive and use her brain.

I’m not saying all the women at this event were shallow … but after hearing “That’s so cute,” or “That’s pretty,” or “Oooohahhh,” for over an hour, I feel the need to go do a few math problems or read classic literature.

So Southern Baptist Belles, here’s to you. Just don’t expect me to wear your doily crosses.

And the Winner Is … March 20, 2006

Overwhelmed (see previous post). With no funding. But still overwhelmed. Woo!

Just Whelmed March 17, 2006

“Like, I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever be just … whelmed?”

I’m here to tell you yes. Yes, you can be … just whelmed.

This year I applied to only one grad school (Fordham University), for only one program (International Political Economy and Development), and gave myself one more chance to pursue higher education. I submitted this chance on January 4, 2006 and decided to sit back and wait it out.

This year I wasn’t antsy and I knew better than to place all my hopes on getting into grad school. I was pretty proud of myself. I was – in my mind – the epitome of cool and collected. It was rad.

Well, on Monday I recieved a curious piece of mail from Fordham University. It was a thin envelope – the kind you expect to get a rejection letter in. Turns out it was an invitation. To a networking event with IPED alumni. On March 23rd. Days after the mid-March date they had promised of notification. I was more than a little confused. Surely they wouldn’t send this invitation to everyone. Wouldn’t it be like rubbing salt in a wound to send an invitation to this event to someone who hadn’t gotten into the program?

I made a quick phone call and got this response: “Oh, only people who were accepted into the program recieved that invitation. So congratulations!” This is where I become simply whelmed. Underwhelmed was out – they didn’t tell me I had been rejected. Overwhelmed was out – I didn’t have a 100% yes. Whelmed it was.

So now I wait. Now my cool, calm demeanor has gone out the window. Now I’m the one that checks the mail everyday, minutes after it has arrived. I need tangible evidence that I’ve been accepted. I need proof.

My guess is that in the transition between NY and TX, my real letter (acceptance or no) is somewhere in transit. So until it arrives (hopefully in the next few days before I go insane) I remain only whelmed. When the over or under is added, I’ll let you know.

Raindrops on Roses March 9, 2006

After what seemed to be so many negative posts about my life in NY (which, in case you didn’t notice, were deleted due to self-preservation reasons), I’ve decided I need to be a little more positive for awhile. So, in deference to Julie Andrews, here’s what I love:

- rainy spring days
- naps
- 18th century British literature
- Diet Coke
- picnics with my best friends
- pedicures
- bullet-point lists
- an Everything bagel with cream cheese (you have to live/been to NY to appreciate that one)
- Calvary Baptist Church
- harmless internet stalking (a la Google, facebook, etc)
- knitting
- a good “I need emotional release” cry
- Texas
- $4.99 enchilada Wednesdays at El Fenix in Dallas
- the Magnolia theatre
- randomness
- Girl Scout cookies
- hugs
- Keaton, Laine, Gordy, and Katie (the children who were actually a joy to babysit)
- and finally, the fact that almost all my friends are completely spastic, just like me

So that’s some of the things that I love and that make me happy. What do you love?

All The Reasons Why … March 4, 2006

There are so many reasons I’m glad to be back in the great state of Texas, and the following are just a few:

1) I’d rather hear the twangiest TX accent all day long than the harshest NY accent for five minutes.
2) Space. There is none on Long Island.
3) My family – even if they are annoying as hell sometimes.
4) Buddy, the non-prissy dog who can take care of himself and only barks when something is wrong.
5) The weather is such that I can wear a sweatshirt and flip-flops and be completely comfortable.
6) Central Time Zone. I don’t have to stay up until 11pm just to watch Grey’s Anatomy or Project Runway.
7) My best friends. Even though I’ve only talked on the phone with them thus far, it’s nice to know they’re just a short drive away.
Easy access to any and all medication, thanks to my dad’s in-house pharmacy. It’s really quite excellent.
9) Seeing signs for chili cookoffs and chicken fried steak. I’m not participating in cooking or eating either, but it’s nice to know they’re there.
10) Being able to talk with my mom, sister, and cousin about Robert Redford in his “sexy years.” If you’ve seen “The Way We Were” or “The Sting” you know what I’m talking about. Mmmm mmm good.

Like I said, these aren’t all the reasons why I’m glad to be back in TX. However, no reasons I could list would portray the joy-light that has been re-lit in my heart since I came back on Sunday. It’s good to be home.

Bueno Tejas March 1, 2006

I’m back in Texas. Indefinitely. I’ll let you know if anything remotely exciting is happening in my life. And hey, if you know of any good job openings … holla.