Evocative Writing

Part I: A 'Shitty First Draft'

The worst thing about meeting the man of your dreams is knowing there is a man of your dreams.

Suddenly the metaphorical playing field is shifted. Suddenly there is a benchmark, a set of expectations, a list. There's a list of requirements where you swore there was never a list before.

The list has necessities such as fiercely passionate about a plethora of interests, be it designer chairs, boxing, traveling to far away countries or 20th century Russian literature. If the next prospect is not a fully fledged Renaissance Man? Vetoed.

Dylan came into my life in a puff of family-arranged-smoke: unsuspecting, I was none the wiser that a plan was afoot. There was never any real prediction that a hunch would be so successful but after meeting him for the second time, for less than half an hour, there was a distinct feeling of something important. Something that was different, something that was perplexing and that stirred me. I didn't know it at the time, but that birthday, my 20th, turned out to be the beginning of authentic, terrifying, heart wrenching love.

Suddenly everyone previous to Dylan was put into perspective.

Heart wrenching. Why would love be heart wrenching? We associate love with butterflies and ecstasy and long walks on the beach. But Dylan lived in New York and I lived in Seattle and that meant that for us love looked more like calendars with countdowns and airline bills. And actually the logistics were not particularly harrowing, it was more the separation. Over 14 months we would snatch long weekends and university breaks together, Dylan spending all his vacation days on westward journeys, me skipping class to escape to the city of lights.

Part II: Continuing...

Genre: Phone Call Transcript 
Sarah: Hello?
Dylan: Hi. It's me. I mean it's Dylan. I just thought I'd give you a buzz and er...yeah. So you booked?
Sarah: (stupid giggle) Yes. Yeah I booked to come visit from Friday to Tuesday, well I'll leave so early that it's more like Monday. The Monday's Memorial Day. Is that ok?
Dylan: Yes! No that's great, it'll be fun, I'll plan some fun stuff.
Sarah: That sounds good, I mean don't feel you have to or anything. I'll definitely do some university stuff and try to feel out what Tisch is like and stuff so you don't need to be on tourist duty or anything.
Dylan: Ha ok. Well tourist duty in New York is pretty fun. You've been before right?
Sarah: Yeah I came with my family when I was like 15. We did all the cheesy stuff like the empire state building and that really long boat trip to see the Statue of Liberty so we can steer clear of that!
Dylan: Ha, woah I've never even done that. That is pretty cheesy. I've had a few friends stay who had similar experience and I definitely made them fall in love by the time they left. With the city I mean. I have some good favorites I'll have to take you to. (Pause) If you're not busy I mean.
Sarah: No no I won't be. I mean I'll be as busy as I can be with the university stuff and things like that but you know. Sorry I'm not making sense, I'm really tired.
Dylan: Yeah, no I get you.
Sarah: Good, that's lucky.
Dylan: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah. (Pause.) I'm excited.
Dylan: Me too.
Sarah: Ok well I better let you go to sleep. I have to go do some work. Papers due and all that.
Dylan: Oh yeah, Seattle time. Ok well good luck. Talk soon?
Sarah: Yeah lets, was nice to chat, thanks for calling.  Night.
Dylan: Night.

Genre: An Official Letter

Dear Ms. Payne-Baader,

It is our pleasure to inform you that your application for the National Student Exchange to Rutgers University has been accepted!

Should you choose to accept the offer, you will begin your first of two semesters of the exchange at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers in New Jersey in September 2011. More information about your new university placement and the program is included in this packet.

Congratulations and we look forward to providing a great experience for you next year!

Sincerely,
The National Student Exchange Placement Team.

A Final Version

The worst thing about meeting the man of your dreams is knowing there is a man of your dreams.

A Phone Call Transcript 
Sarah: Hello?
Dylan: Hi. It's me. I mean it's Dylan. I just thought I'd give you a buzz and er...yeah. So you booked?
Sarah: (stupid giggle) Yes. Yeah I booked to come visit from Friday to Tuesday, well I'll leave so early that it's more like Monday. The Monday's Memorial Day. Is that ok?
Dylan: Yes! No that's great, it'll be fun, I'll plan some fun stuff.
Sarah: That sounds good, I mean don't feel you have to or anything. I'll definitely do some university stuff and try to feel out what Tisch is like and stuff so you don't need to be on tourist duty or anything.
Dylan: Ha ok. Well tourist duty in New York is pretty fun. You've been before right?
Sarah: Yeah I came with my family when I was like 15. We did all the cheesy stuff like the empire state building and that really long boat trip to see the Statue of Liberty so we can steer clear of that!
Dylan: Ha, woah I've never even done that. That is pretty cheesy. I've had a few friends stay who had similar experience and I definitely made them fall in love by the time they left. With the city I mean. I have some good favorites I'll have to take you to. (Pause) If you're not busy I mean.
Sarah: No no I won't be. I mean I'll be as busy as I can be with the university stuff and things like that but you know. Sorry I'm not making sense, I'm really tired.
Dylan: Yeah, no I get you.
Sarah: Good, that's lucky.
Dylan: Yeah.
Sarah: Yeah. (Pause.) I'm excited.
Dylan: Me too.
Sarah: Ok well I better let you go to sleep. I have to go do some work. Papers due and all that.
Dylan: Oh yeah, Seattle time. Ok well good luck. Talk soon?
Sarah: Yeah lets, was nice to chat, thanks for calling.  Night.
Dylan: Night.

Conversations like those mold a person. Suddenly the metaphorical playing field is shifted. Suddenly there is a benchmark, a set of expectations, a list. There's a list of requirements where you swore there was never a list before.

The list has necessities such as fiercely passionate about a plethora of interests, be it designer chairs, boxing, traveling to far away countries or 20th century Russian literature. If the next prospect is not a fully fledged Renaissance Man? Vetoed.

Dylan came into my life in a puff of family-arranged-smoke: unsuspecting, I was none the wiser that a plan was afoot. There was never any real prediction that a hunch would be so successful but after meeting him for the second time, for less than half an hour, there was a distinct feeling of something important. Something that was different, something that was perplexing and that stirred me. I didn't know it at the time, but that birthday, my 20th, turned out to be the beginning of authentic, terrifying, heart wrenching love.

Fourteen long months went past. We took so many flights to each other that we lost count. We tried to keep a book to remember all the things we did together. I kept it up religiously, holding onto each memory as though it were the last sip of water in the world. It was covered in scissors- maybe it was a subconscious choice to signify all the times we were cut apart? And then the letter arrived:


An Official Letter

Dear Ms. Payne-Baader,

It is our pleasure to inform you that your application for the National Student Exchange to Rutgers University has been accepted!

Should you choose to accept the offer, you will begin your first of two semesters of the exchange at the New Brunswick campus of Rutgers in New Jersey in September 2011. More information about your new university placement and the program is included in this packet.

Congratulations and we look forward to providing a great experience for you next year!

Sincerely,
The National Student Exchange Placement Team.


After that came the second one way plane ticket I had ever purchased, which I have long since lost. The ticket to a new life, a new set of challenges, the possibility of something perfect. This month marks three years since I arrived in New York, not knowing how a single part of the adventure would turn out. 

I write this ending with the man of my dreams asleep in the room next door.