Cloud 9 is Where I'm At

I got a phone call from a young woman last night which may have been the best phone call of my life. I was just about to go out to the gym and run some errands and so I hadn't even intended on answering it. I thought that it probably was someone from the Obama campaign because the just keep calling me for my support. (On a side note, I will support Obama 100% if he gets the nomination but right now, my support is for the articulate and savvy H. Clinton.) The phone call was from an Early British Modernist at my top choice university. She was calling to tell me that I have been accepted with full funding, living stipend and health insurance to their graduate program. I was one of two medievalists and one of 16 total acceptaed candidates. They are flying me out in early March to visit the campus and meet the other students and faculty. I really just feel like I was handed everything I could want on a silver platter. I also feel incredibly blessed.

I have a lot of people to thank because it certainly was not just my efforts that got me to this place. I have many family members, faculty advisers and friends and fate to thank for my incredible gift. Sometimes, I get a little self-righteous and think to myself that I have just been wasting my time when I could have applied to a program two years ago but in all honesty, things happen for a reason and I wasn't ready then. I needed to hit bottom before i could pick myself back up and see that the PhD path was really what I wanted. I needed this semester in grad school to reformulate my thoughts and strengthen my academic voice and I needed the to understand how I should prioritize my values. I wasn't ready to apply for fall 2006 or 2007. Now I am ready. Scared silly but ready. I am armed with my lists, an amalgam of glorious O. Cramer Latin advice, a summer job plan and a shit ton of youthful naivety.

My mind has wandered a little to the "Do you really deserve this" question but I don't want to contemplate it. It doesn't matter why they chose me it just matters that they did. I do though really want to see my acceptance letter just in case the lovely phone call was a cruel joke. J. and my mom think that my Doubting Thomas stance is ridiculous but it all does feel a little to good to be true.

Yes, I still have to wait for 6 other schools answeres but at this point, it doesn't really matter a whole lot. It can't get any better than 1st choice plus full funding. I can't really think of any reason I wouldn't go to this school and Carol has confirmed that. (I would be a Trappist monk though if Carol told me she thought it was best.)

Well kids, I'm moving to Los Angeles in a few months. What am I going to do next? I'm going to Disneyland!