Not a hike per se...

...But it was definitely a trek through the Santa Cruz Mountains' foothills. Where did I go you might ask?

I finished my MA program December 2013 and have been teaching full time since. I miss being in the classroom as a student, and I really want to continue my education to the highest degree. I also want to stay local. That leaves Stanford, Santa Cruz and Berkeley. All of them are highly selective. I know I want my Ph.D. to be in literature, but the programs are very specific; that is, an area of concentration could mean a completely different program and therefore, a different application. You can only do so much research online before you realize you need to talk with the program coordinator. 

I decided to drive down to UC Santa Cruz (electing to drive through the peninsula). The campus is huge! Well, actually the land it sits a top has expanding boundaries beyond the buildings themselves. Still, I couldn't help but take in the gorgeous views of the foothills, Monterey Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

The Humanities building is nestled in a forest of redwood trees. It was like being along my weekly hikes; the sounds of click beetles, birds tweeting, rustling leaves. It was soothing; very serene. I walked around the area getting a feel of the campus. Believe you me, my heart rate went up and I worked up a sweat. It really is a hike between buildings. It was awesome.

Humanities Building

Unfortunately, the program coordinator wasn't available, but a young lady was on staff to give me some information about the program and their current Ph.D. students. I was able to browse their profiles such as areas of concentration, courses taught, publications, etc. Imagine my giddiness when I saw some of these students/teaching assistants had full sleeve tattoos. In my mind, I shouted, YES! I can get more. My mom is always worried about my likelihood of teaching at a university with all my tattoos. Well, now I can tell her that it matters not.

Some of these students' studies can be way out there, so I don't feel too bad about my area of study. I have been undecided between two possibilities. Either I go with the practical: Literature across the curriculum or I go for my passion: Detective Fiction, Crime Novels and Film Noir. After my visit, I'm strongly considering the latter. My MA degree is already in a field of practicality - English TESOL, and I will always have a job teaching Adult ESL and Literature. 

As I reflect and write on my little visit, I think I'm starting to answer my own question as to where I want my concentration. Now the next question is, on which foreign language should I focus? I already speak Spanish, but I have no interest in Spanish language literature. I understand and can read Italian, but I'm not sure how it would fit with my concentration. French? I don't know. I still have more questions to ask.

I'll take a visit to Stanford in the coming weeks, but the way I feel right now, I'm really starting to like UC Santa Cruz. It'll be a long drive (60 miles), but I know of one colleague during my MA program who drove from Santa Rosa to attend San Francisco State. For me, it would only be about 35 miles from my job. And the drive back home (I'll always take Cabrillo Highway) is absolutely breathtaking.