Once upon a time, there was the idea of a conference just north of Paris in July of 2014. (How far north, you ask? 20 km north- because we're in France and they embrace the metric system. For you Americans out there, I'm going to go with 12.4 miles.) Surely if the conference is July of 2014, the abstract deadline must be long gone, no? Well, we checked. It's not. The deadline is mid-April.
So like a child who asks their parents for a puppy knowing that the parents will say no, but just to ask, I asked my boss about funding for this conference. I was fully expecting a "haha. you're silly." But since I'm having story time about this, you know it can't end there. Alas, the e-mail said, "I will fund you X amount. Look for other funding to cover the remaining costs and bon voyage!" (and yes he did actually write bon voyage. I wasn't adding that for effect, or because we are discussing France). Also, I should mention that X is not, like, pennies. It is a significant chunk--over half of the funding required.
I think I stared at the e-mail for like 20 minutes before I was able to form full thoughts and speak sentences. So I called my mom and I mention July and... BOOM. Stress-bomb goes off. I should have remembered before I looked at the conference, but someone I know and love is doing this wedding thing in the middle of July. At the same time as the conference. That my boss just told me he would pay for over half of. And that someone is my cousin.
I think I talked to no less than 20 people about this conundrum. I was at a loss as to what to do. I knew that if the roles were reversed I would have said "You take lots of pics in France, I'll get lots of pics of my wedding. When we're both back, we'll get together and have a girls' night and swap." But I'm not so certain that I have the most awesome handle on this thing (because I would also tell that to anyone attending my wedding. Except the groom. He can't go to France). I also have a huge guilt complex that is very much ingrained in my being. So I decided to talk it over with her in a very logical manner.
1. I have the opportunity to go to France.
2. I have half the funding covered.
3. It's during your wedding.
4. I want you to weigh in before I seek out additional funding.
5. (Please don't hate me)
I may have started crying- did I mention the guilt complex? But my wonderful cousin, without pause, decided that I MUST go to France. Even if it conflicted with her wedding. Even if I were paying for it by myself. Because, HELLO, it's France. And you only get so many opportunities to go to France in your life.
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