Goin' down to Nashville...

I love Vanderbilt!! I had such a great time while I was there. The professors were so incredibly nice and the campus is gorgeous. It is a registered arboreum and there are about a million squirrels per square foot. Pitt made a sort of last-ditch effort to reel me in-- offering me more money and a fellowship (for only 4 years, what is that??)-- but, when I went to visit I was treated, not rudely but, rather coldly. So, I'm making it official--- I'm doing my Ph.D. at Vanderbilt! I'm so excited. There are lots of apartments right beside campus, the TA offices are AMAZING (recently renovated, all glass and wood, with unlimited printing!!!) and, right across the street from the History Department they have a Panera, Ben&Jerry's and Starbucks. Honestly, what more could I ask for? It is a very quiet, private campus right smack in the middle of downtown Nashville. It has the seclusion of a small university with the bustling night-life of a major city, with ethnic food and diversity out the wazoo. And money, sheesh, this place has money like I've never seen...only dreamed of...they told me, point-blank, I am expected to never be in Nashville for the summer; I will always be abroad somewhere. YEAHHH!!! I can definitely deal with that-- Brazil every summer with FULL FUNDING. It's just mind-boggling. Plus, these professors publish like crazy and let their advisees co-publish with them. Plus, any conference in the world I want to go to, I can. AND, if I want to, in my last year I have the choice to completely design a course and teach it that Spring semester--- that's huge, a major resume-builder. It was certainly a whirlwind day and they had every minute of it planned and packed with activities, I barely had dinner before I flew back, but it was awesome. If you can't tell, I'm REALLY excited. This really is the perfect place for me and I can't wait to start. All I have to do is finish up this damn thesis, defend it, pass all my finals and I'm the hell outta here!! Woo-hoo!!!