I returned from a trip out of town tonight and found the following e-mail message waiting for me [I did some editing of the message to protect the privacy of the group until I have an initiation date set in stone!!]:
"Lori congratulations, the Executive Board has approved you for membership...JS sent a recommendation to me on your behalf. CS will be sending you a letter advising of fees etc. Please confirm if you want to be initiated...in April? That would work out nicely based on where you live and when you relocate, you can join the local alumna chapter. Let me know and I will get initiation set up for you. Congratulations to you. JS thank you for all your help.
DL
AI chairman"
I am absolutely stunned....and overwhelmed...and deliriously overjoyed...and speechless...I just can't believe it!! I'm so tired from my trip and keep pinching myself to make sure I'm not really asleep and dreaming this. I've been pursuing this almost five years, and wondered if this day would ever come. I feel as though a missing piece in my life has finally fallen into place.
I feel I owe a huge debt of gratitude to everyone on this forum. Discovering this forum last fall inspired me to pursue AI full-force again.
I need one last piece of advice: I'm planning to send thank yous to the two women who helped me. Should I also send thank yous to the Exec Board?
I feel like I'm rambling, so I'll sign off for now. And ohhhhh...let me know if you guys are interested at all in eventually learning who "XYZ" is...if not that's fine I don't have to tell.