Beaches, France and Feminism

Hi all,

So a few updates that I should probably have spread out into multiple posts, but since I have such a tough time remembering to get on here, I'm just gonna say it all at once:

FIRST:
I went to a conference at Wrightsville Beach last weekend and HAD A BLAST! I rented a car and left Columbia @ 4am, got lost, and was a tiny bit late for the first session, but I got to spend 6hrs just me & Jason Mraz, so it was a fantastic trip :) I got to the hotel and checked in to my canal view room, only to find out that they'd given me an oceanview room instead for the same price! ($50 difference) The conference was great - I learned ton(ne)s, met some great people with whom I am staying in contact, got Fredric Jameson to sign my copy of "Political Unconscious", and signed up to create a semi-annual bibliography for Utopus Discovered (a society newsletter) that will tell people what is currently being published in the Utopian Studies world.

In other news: I also took a lovely walk on the Carolina coast for the first time since 2004, collected a seashell and a really great stone, watched some surfers and got a $40 meal for $5.50 + tip... and on the return trip, I took a "Sunday drive" with Jason Mraz and stopped at fruit stands and tourist shops at regular intervals, after spending the morning driving up & down the Myrtle Beach strand and shopping at the outlet mall.

So overall, no complaints re the conference trip!

SECOND:
While I was at the conference, I had a fantastic visit with my aunt, who lives 15mins from the hotel*! We ate supper at a cute local grille with a fantastic server, then spent the evening getting my aunt signed onto Twitter and watching TV before we both crashed at 10pm. sad. haha. ANYWAY: while Vicki and I were in my room talking, I checked my email and found out that...

THIRD:
I got an email from my advisor (who had cc'd another prof) to tell me about an opportunity for a fellowship in France next school year... my advisor told me the bare details: it's teaching English at a university in Mulhouse [moo-looz], France, paid position (20K euro), for one year. I would get university-level teaching experience, french practice, and not have to go further into debt all in one fell swoop. Is that how you spell "fell swoop"? Anyone know the etymology there? hmm... back to the topic! I hadn't checked my email all day, so the other prof had replied as well, to inform me that NO ONE has expressed interest so far. So I have talked it over with the Fam and I intend to apply**. They have to send an email out and I reply with a letter of interest in writing. I have prayed about it and have come to the decision that - if I am offered the position - I will be moving to France next summer! And if not, then I will more than likely be spending the summer working on French somewhere (maybe Vermont?). Proverbs 16:9, people!

FOURTH:
Compared to that fun-filled weekend, the remainder of my week has been pretty blah. I got my H1N1 vaccine and I think it made me a little sick, but I was over it by late Friday night. AND I have literally spent 15hrs this weekend reading journal articles for 2 essays due at the beginning of December.

Off topic, but still pertinent: I am inclined to make it my mission to become a female theorist who isn't determined to put a feminist spin of EVERYTHING I WRITE. It really is annoying that that is all I read from women theorists. At least that's what it feels like. Can't I be a part of a world that isn't splintered into factions? I may change my mind, but I won't be happy about it.

Love to everyone - will keep you informed!



* she has cats. there was no way I could visit her, so she came to my hotel for a slumber party!

** I have since found out that one other person has expressed interest, and that he went last year, so I don't know what my chances are right now.