MmmGAAAH

Without wanting to jinx myself, there is a teeny, tiny possibility that I may be able to maybe get some help with my last payment for my UK Study Tour. I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago and the woman was very nice. VERY nice. Before our meeting I googled her and found out some information about her and I got afraid because she looked like the kind of person who was very kind, yet very firm--a combination of a Catholic school nun and Maya Angelou. So I was afraid because I didn't want to say the wrong thing to her and have her be all "no money for you!" (In my head she says it like the Soup Nazi does on Seinfeld.) But the meeting went well and she did not holler and instead gave me instructions for how to apply for this magical money.

Step one: signatures. Get your advisor's signature. Simple. I love my advisor, he was easy to get in touch with because he teaches one of my classes. Then get the Chair's signature. Kind of easy but not really because she was out of town for a few days. Through the magic of email, though, she agreed to sign the form if I left it with her secretary. Then get the DEAN OF THE DEPARTMENT'S autograph. WTF?!? I didn't even know who the Dean of my department was. Turns out there's three--who knew? Luckily my department is magical and I didn't even really need to bug anyone because the secretary for the chair of the department got the chair's autograph AND the dean's as well. Because Baby Jesus loves me.

Step two: budgets. Make up your monthly budget and submit a budget for the trip. My monthly budget was easy--I make no money. And what I do make goes to keeping the credit card people at bay. And the rest is spent on very important things like books and chai lattes and fun stuff at Target. The budget for the trip wasn't entirely hard to get. It was hard to get the BGSU professor to do it, but once I had it, it was used for both this application and my Study Abroad application. Not that it didn't take a reminder email or two. But if it means free money then I would have freakin' driven to her office, shined her shoes and cooked her a gourmet meal in order to get her to fill out the form.

Step three: please give me money essay. This is the part that took the longest because I am a big wussy who was afraid that nothing I would write would possibly be good enough to appease this committee. Alas! I cannot write under such pressure! I am not an award-winning essayist! It shall not be enough! I shalt crumble under the pressure! Alas! And so I put it off for a good two weeks. It finally took me bribing myself with a chai latte and succombing to the confines of the Union to actually write the damn thing.

Step four: turn it in. DONE. Oh wait! Just kidding! When I went to turn it in today I was informed that everything looked good but oh wait? Where's the letter from your advisor? You need a letter of approval to complete this you know?

SLKUOEIRUEGKMSDOYRE EEl!@)(&*@!!!

Why no, I did not know. I thought that getting three diferent signatures from three very different and very busy people as well as a fabulous essay and not one but two budgets would be enought. Um, no.

Hopefully my advisor doesn't kill me after I write him a "please write me a letter I love you!" email. Gaah.