Gator-Aid...

Sorry I've taken a few days off. I've had my hands full with two young charges for the past few days! (More on that later!)

So, where did I leave off? Ah, yes...

Last Monday I visited my future campus, the University of Florida, in Gainesville.

Thankfully, the drive wasn't too bad. But the parking was a nightmare! I spent about 15 minutes trying to find a parking deck, and then another 20 minutes driving around the deck looking for a space. Fortunately, I found one that was 2-hour parking. Unfortunately, I had to keep running back to feed the meter!

I spent the day at the journalism building talking with my advisor and with the professor I'll be teaching under.

The building itself is pretty cool. It's got a media area at the entrance, complete with a CNN-like news ticker:

The main part of the building features a solarium, which is beautiful, but a bit warm in the summer:

And, like most college campuses, it has some -- ahem -- "unique" art.

Anyway, I found out a bit more about what classes I'll need to take this semester, so I feel a lot more at ease about that. I'll be taking a colloquium course, which will help me get my degree plan and dissertation in order. 

I'll also take a mass communications and perspectives course (sounds sexy, huh?) and a teaching course. Finally, I'll round it all out with an independent study course, during which I will attempt to research, write, and publish a paper.

Wish me luck...

After getting all that straightened out, I met with my teaching professor (who is great!), and she and I discussed some strategies for the two sections of writing lab I'll be teaching. I'm nervous, but eager.

And now, there's nothing left to do but watch the final days of my summer vacation fritter away!