My first T.A. in the undergrad Art History program at the University of Washington was Renee Martin. She was this amazing grad student, part rock&roll, part nerdy intellectual. I immediately fell head over heels for her. I’m pretty sure this is a singularly female thing. It’s not sexual, it’s just a crush. We crush on other girls. Sometimes hard…like I did for Renee Martin.
12 years ago…
I was accepted into the small Spring quarter Art History seminar in Rome. I had never been out of the country and all of a sudden, there I was, standing at the door of the apartment I was meant to share with five other girls (all but one of which turned out to be grad students) on the edge of Campo dei Fiori. The door opened, and there stood Renee. It was like showing up at your apartment only to have Angelina Jolie open the door. With a huge smile. Excited to see you. And then, for the next three months Angelina Jolie would teach you about wine, and make you try pesto for the first time, and show you hidden parts of Rome, and give you your first Milan Kundera novel and help you flirt with boys because you don’t speak Italian, but she does. Fluently. And then, before you know it, you and Angelina Jolie are friends. Like, real friends. Except this was way cooler because it was Renee Martin. You get the idea.
2 years ago…
Renee and I reconnected and have actually seen quite a bit of each other between Los Angeles and New York over the last couple years. We’re both a decade older, but I feel we’re closer in age and we have gotten to know each other in a different way, because I was really just a kid back then. She still has that extra special spark – she’s just the coolest. She’s successful and funny and witty and interesting and knows the secret underground bars (quite literally under ground) and whenever I’m around her I feel like I’m in the presence of someone extraordinary.
This past Sunday…
Renee got on a jet plane and headed to Asia. She’ll be back in six months at which time she’ll wash her clothes, go through her mail and then head off for another six months…destination TBD. See what I mean?! Seriously. How could you not crush on this woman?
Renee and I after an especially wet vespa outing
Rome, Spring 1998
Buon viaggio, Renee, can’t wait to hear all about it!
gretch
1 comment:
what sort of work does she do that makes for such long-term Asian jaunts?
Post a Comment