Timeline for my life

I have made some big decisions in the past few days. With August looming and my anxiety rising, it is hard to decide how the things that I want for myself fit into the limited amount of time I have to do them.

After much consideration, I have decided to finish my Master's degree this semester and apply for a Ph.D. program in Gender and Women's Studies at Texas Women's University for Fall 2011 admission. This is a HUGE commitment and I know that there will be people who are going to tell me to be careful making such a big commitment. But after having cancer, I'm not willing to wait to do the things that I want for myself. Going to India for a few months to escape life would be LOVELY, but in all, I really need to get this degree; I want it SO badly. So much so that I think about it non-stop. I know that my life was going to take me in this direction eventually, so what better time than the present? I still have time between now and fall 2011 to go to India and finish my degree; just maybe not going for 4 whole months! :)

The great thing about this move for me will be greater acceptance for the type of research I want to do. There is SO much work to be done in the Criminal Justice discipline that I fear I won't get funding or recognition for what I want to do and for how I want to expand the discipline. Gangs, drugs and racial profiling are all neato subjects, but SO 1990's, yano? I ask where does the edge of knowledge lie? Where are places that we haven't explored yet? I see a lot of students simply repeating the type of research and scholarly interests that their advisors/professors have. I want to be unique and challenging.
I've gotten a lot of resistance from my peers and the faculty. It seems that few in the department have the ability and knowledge to support the type of research that I am interested in. I think that a degree in Women's Studies is just the next logical step for me. I am so passionate about what I do and what I believe in that it is embedded in the very fabric of my being. I never get tired of it. THAT'S how you know that it is right for you.

The second fantastic thing this move will bring is employment opportunities for David and the friendships that we so desperately miss. One of our good friends lives near TWU and let me tell you, living in rural Idaho is beautiful, but depressing. Very, very depressing. No work, no fun, no friends. I can't believe that we haven't tried to strangle each other yet!

Finally, Texas = no snow. It will be hard to cope with the lack of seasonal changes (at least the more drastic ones we're used to), but that means we don't have to think about snow tires or winter clothes ever again. Then again...I burn easily. *sigh*

Ugh, I can't believe that I'm awake at this ungodly hour! Off to bed and to dream of TWU...