UCL

I got good news a few days ago. I should have posted this a few days ago, but work has been absolutely crazy this week. Anyways, I got an email from UCL a few mornings ago saying they had received my complete application as of 28 January and that I should receieve an official decision by 12 April. Uhh...UCL...that is not going to work. Don't they know I have to respond to KCL's offer by 29 March?! Bleh. So, I shoot a polite email over to admissions explaining my dilemma to them, only to receive an auto response to the effect of: "we get a ton of emails, give us 10+ business days to get back to you." Great.

So, I'm feeling a little defeated and stressed out for about, oh...all of two hours, until an email comes from the director of the International Public Policy MSc program at UCL. Hmm, ok. Here is the letter:

"Dear Hayley,
Thank you for your application to the MSc International Public Policy at UCL. I have just reviewed your application and I'm happy to tell you I've advised UCL that they should make you an official offer.
Please note that this email is just to let you know, i.e. it's not an official or legal offer. UCL Admissions is now in charge of the process and will send you the official letter in the coming weeks. It is this letter and to Admissions that you will need to respond. Just to warn you: this may take several weeks -- so do not be alarmed if you haven't heard anything for a while.
But I thought that you would appreciate knowing the good news in the meantime!
Kind regards, David"

I am thrilled! I am trying to not get my hopes completely up, but it's hard not to. I just can't even describe how ridiculously excited I am to move to London. I love that city. Now I get a whole 'nother year (and hopefully more) in it. Life is SO good. There are things I will definitely miss. As I type this, I am sitting on my couch in my jammies with my two doggies cuddling up next to me, watching my dvr-ed 90210 reruns. Ah...The Life. No, but really...I will miss my family, friends, and dogs immensely...but I feel like this is something that I need to do. I need to make decisions for ME and my future and my career for once. It feels so good.

Another thing I was thinking about recently was dreams. You know, not the kind you have when you sleep...but real, achievable dreams. It is crazy how much they can change in a matter of months. Before going to Europe last summer, I thought my future was clear as ever in front of me: take a year or two off, take the LSAT, and then go to law school. I'm now on a completely different track, but it feels so right. This is what I want. But, I would have NEVER dreamed of doing this had I not taken the initial plunge of going overseas for those five weeks. That trip did so much for me: it helped me see the world, see that I can get by fine outside of my comfort zone, and it helped me realize my dreams and that I am willing to work hard to go after them. It is just crazy to me how much it changed me life...five weeks that went by so fast, but have made such a difference to the rest of my life. Even when I was thinking of going to law school, I was so opposed to going far away. I wanted to be close to my family and friends. Now I have seen that I don't *need* that...and that really will help me expand my horizons to do what I need to do to achieve my goals.