!

September 26, 2008



Dear Alyssa,



We are pleased to announce that MICA has accepted your application to the MICA@SACI honors program for the spring 2009 semester. Congratulations! We will now send your application to SACI. SACI will be in touch with you directly regarding important logistical details of your semester in Florence.

:D:D:D:D:D

So, I got accepted, and even better: I'm still eligible for SACI's big scholarship. :)

This is awesome. I was here at the desk with Robin and Paul when I opened the e-mail, and I just thought it was about the scholarship part, which the International Affairs officer called me about earlier today already, but I read the opening lines, and this understanding just seeped through me, and this contentment and satisfaction welled up. It was really great, and Paul and Robin were happy for me, although they said they would miss me. :)

This is really cool. Dear Lord, let this pan out properly, please!

:)

In other news, I talked to Mom about Chase's visit, and she insists that Chase comes and talks to her. I expressed that I thought it was silly that it should be a requirement, and I didn't like that since Chase will do what I ask of him, it comes down to me choosing my relationship with him or compromising the one I have with my Mom. She assured me that it wouldn't change our relationship if I chose to tell Chase not to talk to her, that she would still love me and I'd still be her daughter.

I know this, but if the contempt is already breeding (and it is), there will be a change whether I speed the process or not. She already doesn't want me dating him, him going to talk to her isn't going to change that. I also expressed that while I'm her daughter and I know she wants to protect me, I'm also her nearly-TWENTY year old daughter, and I should be allowed to make my own decisions regarding MY relationship with Chase.

I see my Mom's concerns, and, honestly, I want her and Chase to talk, but if she's already set on disapproving of him until she deems me old enough to date him (yes, she said that), then what's the point?

I told her I would tell Chase to go talk to her, but now I'm thinking of calling her back and telling her to mind her own business, basically. She said herself that she needed to start transitioning out of "Active Parenting" and into "Consulting".

Also, she asked me point-blank if Chase said "I love you". Naturally, I couldn't lie, but I framed it by saying that I told him what was what, and she took it WAY better than I expected.

I got pretty emotional during the talk--although I don't think she could tell I was getting choked up. You see, my Mom and I never have these kind of conflicts. I am very interested in making my family proud of me, and in showing them I can make good decisions for myself. I hate when I disappoint them, and I hate it even more when I KNOW I'm not making a poor choice, and they're still disappointed. Sheesh.

What do you guys think about the situation? Be honest!

Love,
Alyssa