Best Moment of 2010
Pick one moment during which you felt most alive this year. Describe it in vivid detail.
My best moment came this year not so much in a single moment but in a span of several days. In the Fall of 2009, I paid for registration at the 2010 AWP Conference, knowing that if I didn't just commit to spending the money on it, it would never happen. I also knew that it would be an introduction into the MFA world I was set on entering. When it came time, I used my frequent flyer miles and set out for Denver. Only days had passed since I had been accepted to Vanderbilt's program and had met all the amazing students and faculty in Nashville.
The conference was nothing short of a marvel, and not so much because of the conference itself, but because of the mass of amazing, creative people it localizes. I got to spend time with my dearest friend and hang out with new friends I'd met at Vanderbilt only a week earlier. At every turn, it seemed like confirmation that I had made the right decision. We stayed up 'til 4 or 5 am every night, listened to music, heard good poetry, met more wonderful people. Being immersed in that creative energy invigorated me to such a degree that I hardly have words to express it. I was surrounded by *writers*, by people who can use words like swords or balm. And they were all so grounded and fun and intelligent. I felt like I'd found my people.
To pick one specific moment in particular, I'd have to say it would have been when we went to this bar to see a reading, which was so completely packed that we ended up not really listening. But Tarfia and I had been to Craig's memorial that day and were both a bit emotionally frazzled from the experience. We got whiskey shots and all stood by the door and toasted to Craig. The place was so loud and it was so cold outside, but I felt supported amidst these people, many of them not really knowing who this man was who had gone missing, but knowing that he was important to us. We later walked a *long* way back to the hotel, feeling a little lost, but weaving in between each other's conversations, moving very quickly to try to stay warm, every one of us giddy in each other's presences. It was just what I needed.
A few times, Tarfia would turn to me and say how happy she was that these were the people at the program I was entering, that I was so fortunate to have found the right group and the right place to do my work. Within a matter of days, I knew that I was on the best path for my future. And everyday that I've been here in Nashville has only cemented that feeling more.
The conference was nothing short of a marvel, and not so much because of the conference itself, but because of the mass of amazing, creative people it localizes. I got to spend time with my dearest friend and hang out with new friends I'd met at Vanderbilt only a week earlier. At every turn, it seemed like confirmation that I had made the right decision. We stayed up 'til 4 or 5 am every night, listened to music, heard good poetry, met more wonderful people. Being immersed in that creative energy invigorated me to such a degree that I hardly have words to express it. I was surrounded by *writers*, by people who can use words like swords or balm. And they were all so grounded and fun and intelligent. I felt like I'd found my people.
To pick one specific moment in particular, I'd have to say it would have been when we went to this bar to see a reading, which was so completely packed that we ended up not really listening. But Tarfia and I had been to Craig's memorial that day and were both a bit emotionally frazzled from the experience. We got whiskey shots and all stood by the door and toasted to Craig. The place was so loud and it was so cold outside, but I felt supported amidst these people, many of them not really knowing who this man was who had gone missing, but knowing that he was important to us. We later walked a *long* way back to the hotel, feeling a little lost, but weaving in between each other's conversations, moving very quickly to try to stay warm, every one of us giddy in each other's presences. It was just what I needed.
A few times, Tarfia would turn to me and say how happy she was that these were the people at the program I was entering, that I was so fortunate to have found the right group and the right place to do my work. Within a matter of days, I knew that I was on the best path for my future. And everyday that I've been here in Nashville has only cemented that feeling more.