careful considerations

I must submit a decision to Tulane Law School in ten days. Last week Hubby and I took a lovely trip to New Orleans, in part as a belated birthday celebration trip, but primarily so that I could visit the Tulane campus and meet with faculty members with whom I've been corresponding since the fall, when this Grad School Admissions Game began.

I was impressed with the campus, but moreso with the encouragement and kindness of the faculty. One professor in particular expressed her willingness to help me plan and embark upon a career as a legal scholar if I'm willing to work hard to get there. I certainly am willing to put forth the effort, which has me seriously considering attending Tulane, even though I've been rejected by the History Department and therefore cannot pursue both a J.D. and Ph.D. there.

My faculty meetings helped me to realize that both degrees aren't strictly necessary in order for me to make a happy life for myself. I'm confident that, with Tulane faculty as my allies, I can carve out a successful path forward from Tulane Law School and find a happy balance between the law and the academy, the two things I've demonstrated an aptitude and passion for. And New Orleans, as always, is irresistibly charming. Both Hubby and I would positively love to live there. It's relatively close to all things familiar and familial, much moreso than Albany, which is the only other school to offer me admission thus far. I still haven't heard from UC Riverside, but there, again, the distance from here seems insurmountable.

So I've much thinking and talking with Hubby to do, because I've only ten days to make my final decision known to Tulane.

Other than having this major, life-changing decision on the horizon, all is well. The vacation was much-needed and thoroughly enjoyable, even despite a low-grade fever that marred my enjoyment of the first day and which has since evolved into a sore throat and mass of yellow gunk inside my head. I'm on top of my school work at present, although the research paper is coming along more slowly than I would prefer, despite my diligent primary-source research the week of Spring Break. But I'll not fret about that as I have three weeks still to work towards completion of that project.

Tomorrow it's back to school-and-work, after a lovely weekend of studying and writing interspersed amongst much cooking and a little cleaning. Another month and the semester will be all but over, and with the semester winding to a close I shall strive to make more time for blogging...