Destinations, Dreams and Dogs - International adventure with a fast-track family (& dogs) of Old World values, adopting the Russian-Italian-American good life on the go…!

The communique arrived before dawn in our son’s e-mail inbox. Short and sweet, it read something like this: “Many thanks for sending your application for a place commencing this fall. We have now made you an offer to study with us which has been sent separately to your email address.”

The foreign university was well-respected and Petya’s first choice. His hand quivered to open the second e-mail following in rapid succession. From the Deputy Head of the School, it read, “I am pleased to inform you that we are making you an unconditional offer to study” with details that followed.

Our son, his father and I looked at one another, stunned. They wanted him! High-fives followed, with thanks to the Lord, and our son’s non-stop smile. As our oldest child, this experience was a first for us and we savored every minute.

Times had changed since Benedetto and I were in school. Petya planned on studying by distance learning. The university’s online courses held the same amount of panache and were worded no differently on the eventual diploma which would be granted.

So far, he appeared in no hurry to leave home. He could continue at his part-time internship and other opportunities in which he was involved, plus study online. The BA Honours course required that he present himself once for a week of study in-person, and possibly for another week at a later date if he so desired. Other than that, there were no residency requirements, yet even with travel factored in, the total cost of the degree would be less than the vast majority of American universities.

No debt. No need for scholarships, nor digging deep in one’s pockets. The option of going part-time or full-time, and positive professors who were extending offers to our son after reading over his impressive application.

Life didn’t get much better than that.

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