Could I be any happier?
The trip that made all the difference!
In 1999 I took an amazing trip to Europe. Three weeks, Paris, the Normandy coast, Venice, and Florence--with Rick Steves' amazing books for a guide and Yvette Woolfolk for a companion. When I returned home from this eye-opening, mind-expanding vacation, I decided that I needed to find a way to bring that sort of mentally stimulating experience into my regular hum-drum life. With some help from a few friends, I hit upon the idea of going back to school. By setting myself the goal of a college degree, I not only had an exciting challenge to work toward but also a means of being actively engaged in learning on a long-term basis. I registered for a history class at American River College for the summer session of 2000, thinking to myself that this sort of class would be a safe way to ease back into the educational realm. Of course, I turned into a complete mad-woman, reading like a fiend and striving to make Dr. Padgett think enough of me to give me the coveted A. I started down a path with that initial foray into the classroom that took me to the Hinde Auditorium at California State University, Sacramento, last night.
Hornet pride on my fingertips and a new bracelet
from Anita on my wrist....
In that auditorium in the University Union, I was officially "hooded" and heard myself declared to have earned a Master of Arts degree in history. I heard gracious words from my major field advisor, the incomparable Dr. Chloe Burke, and I received hugs, kisses, and congratulations from family, faculty, and friends. As far as amazing times in my life go, it wasn't up there with giving birth to my daughters, but it was pretty damn close.
So now what? For the next few weeks, its going to be reading and relaxing, learning how to live without a deadline over my head to finish a book, write a paper, or take an exam. I'll turn my prodigious energies once again toward researching and writing about my family history. There are tons of little chores to do around my house, and I'll get to spend more time with my family--including my feline and canine daughters. I'll head to the family cabin at Tahoe, read a trashy romance novel or two by the river, and watch The Good Wife on DVD. I'll share book reviews on my blog, keep up with friends on Facebook, and hopefully put together a "Masters of History" night out with school chums. My gift to myself will come in the fall, when Yvette and I will head back to Paris to soak in art, literature, architecture, history--and probably a little wine as well.
The view from the cabin porch....
Most importantly, I'll begin gearing up for the next phase of my education--the pursuit of a doctoral degree. It means researching programs at various universities, generally in the South, and it means establishing contact with professors with whom I'd like to work. There are no guarantees that I'll be accepted into a program, as such positions are very difficult to come by. But I'm going to try. If I'm accepted anywhere, I'll start in the fall of 2015. If I'm not, then who knows what my Plan B will be.
