Exciting news!

After a second long day on the Cambodian tourist track, I relaxed yesterday evening by taking in a traditional show. The Cambodian dancers moved slowly and gracefully in their elaborate brightly colored costumes. I sat in awe as I watched them arch their limbs and curve their hands and fingers back at impossible angles.


When I returned to the hotel and checked my email, I received some very exciting news: I was accepted into several of the graduate programs to which I applied. I stared at the screen in total shock and actually got a little 'verklempt' out of happiness—only the second time in my life that I’ve cried out of happiness, the first being when I found out I had been accepted to the Insight Fellowship program. I called my family to tell them the good news, but could not get through. It all felt very surreal and anti-climatic: I was sitting in a little hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia and just got some amazing news that I couldn’t share or celebrate with anyone. I was reminded of my distance from my family and at the same time so excited because now I know that I’ll be closer to home for the next couple of years.

Anyway, I've decided to go with my original top choice, a dual degree Masters in International Affairs program run between Sciences Po and Columbia University. This means that starting in September, I won't be globetrotting as much for the next two years as I'll be settled first for a year in Paris and then for a year back in NYC. I believe the program is perfectly suited not only to my transatlantic bicultural background but also to my professional and academic interests as it will allow me to focus on international security and diplomacy. I am excited about the academic opportunities the program has to offer, as well as the chance to spend the next couple of years closer to home and family.