Potpourri

Today, I can't stop smiling. It's days like today that remind me I made a good choice in studying what I love: history. Studying what you enjoy isn't always possible; sometimes, no matter how much you love it, you suck at it. Kind of like my love for, say, singing. I sound like a strangled duck. No matter.

Anyway, I got some great feedback on a couple papers of mine in my European Women's History class. "Superior work" was the term used. Before you think I'm just patting myself on the back, sometimes I wonder if I'm getting carried off by wanting to go into academia, getting completely in over my head. I probably am, but it's good to know that at least one doctor of history thinks I'm on the right track. What I should be doing is collecting these comments so when I have a professor like the one I had last semester (see How to FAIL as a Professor for more details), I can remind myself why I'm studying history.

I know I'm in for a long road. Hence my upcoming trip to France. Oh wait, I didn't TELL you I'm going to France? Well, yeah baby, I am! And despite heading for beautiful Hyères, I'm not going for a vacation (though I do hope to get in some beach time). I'm going to refresh that cobweb-covered French I developed in my primary and secondary school years. Word on the street is that if I want to research French history, I should probably be able to complete my research in French. Go figure. So, taking the head of U of Birmingham's program to heart, I'm off to France for a couple of two-week stints to improve what I already know. After all, I don't need to be perfect in French before I apply. Heck, my French probably doesn't even need to be as fluent as my German. But it should be better than the cobweb mess that it is right now.

Watch this space for some pictures in August. It'll be awesome... I hope.