June 4, 2006
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I drafted an email to send to friends and family, but I can’t send it until Shaun and I call our moms.
For Shaun’s phone call to his mom, we’ve prepared a list of calming talking points: she is a loveable, albeit shell-shocked bundle of nerves. My mom is an adventurer herself (she ships off to India in a week for a month of teaching English in Mumbai), so my only challenge with her is actually calling at a time when she is home to answer the phone.
But I am dying to send this email. It is below for your reading enjoyment. Good lord this has been one helluva month.
From Freaks, With Love
Extraordinary Ladies, Esteemed Gentlemen, and Every Loved One in Between:
You can call me a tease and you can call me a flake: for what I’m about to tell you, I’ll own up to either.
Shaun and I don’t mean to toy with your emotions, but just imagine how we felt when we got the incredible news that a spot for Shaun opened up the crazy-selective Masters in Creative Writing program at University of Glasgow in Scotland. Those of you who have been on this journey with us for a while know that this program has been the apple of Shaun’s eye for two years now. However, after discovering that writers the world over were competing for the program’s 15 spots, we were resigned to the unlikelihood of Shaun being granted a spot; despite the brilliance of our young protagonist, the competition out there is FIERCE. Well, low and behold, just DAYS after we decided to have a happy trek out to New Mexico, Shaun was informed of his acceptance into Glasgow University.
Not that New Mexico isn’t fabulous, but does it top ten months in Europe with Shaun studying in one of the world’s most renown writing programs? Ummm…no. This is undoubtedly an upgrade.
So, this is the last freakish notice that we are giving. Our apologies for jumping the gun, but this news was completely unexpected and by George if we didn’t shift gears I’d say we were in need of lobotomies.
University of Glasgow’s term begins in October. Shaun’s program is a ten-month masters program, so we’ll be back in the states June 2007. I will not be eligible to work in Scotland (not in any documented capacity, anyhow), so I will be on the lookout for any interesting internship/volunteer opportunities that strike my fancy; the city is bustling with culture and history, so I’m sure that I’ll happen upon something interesting to keep me occupied. The university has been so kind as to arrange for our housing and we move in on September 15.
So, if you are planning on a Chicago visit, please pop by anytime before September 1. September 1—15 we will be in Michigan to visit family, store our stuff in Grandma Render’s storage house, and bask in the last rays of summer before heading off to one of the world’s most cloudy, rainy places.
For those of you who are interested in checking out our Scottish digs, go to: http://www.gla.ac.uk/.
We love you all and apologize for being such skittish freaks.
Always,
Truly and Shaun
Comments (7)
That is one hell of an upgrade! Scotland! Glasgow! You two are going to have the time of your lives. This is a great turn of events upon an already good one. I wish you and yours the best. And sometimes finding that under-the-table kind of work can lead to the most interesting experiences. I hope you get the time to write about them. It would be a great read! It seems you have you mom’s adventure streak. Not at all a bad way to live a full life. May luck and safe travel be yours!
that is so exciting! doesn’t sound flaky to me at all. way to go, shaun. i hope you guys love it there. go to the highland festival if you can.
That does indeed rock. And I am, of course, envious … but not so much to preclude being very happy for you and Shaun.
What is it about some of my favorite Xangans heading off to Scotland? Amanda (visitamanda) and her fiance Dean (anima_mea) are off to Aberdeen as he pursues a research opportunity. All good!
Awesome! I’m v. excited for Shaun’s opportunity and the adventure you’ll both have in Scotland for 10 months. I hope you write about your adventures.
You absolutely have to go and congratulations!!!
Well, that’s freaking awesome!!! No worries about the preemptive contact search in New Mexico… I’d only sent one email before I got your response. And, hey, Scotland sounds like a much better option, so of course I understand why you’ve changed your destination! How come you won’t be able to work in Scotland? Couldn’t you get a work visa?
Anyway… I’m very proud of Shaun and I don’t even know him! May your travels kick ass! I may have contact or two in Scotland, but I’m not sure what city so it may not be very helpful.
RYC: not sure if I was clear in the last part of my comment. I’m not sure what city my contacts live in (might be Aberdeen or Edinburgh, not Glasgow)…I know that you guys are going to Glasgow, silly!