On my continuing education

For a variety of reasons, my Masters at the University of Washington, Tacoma, is on hold. One reason is that the classes I want to take are not necessarily available. My focus has been Urban Studies, but it appears the chances of me completing the IAS program with a strong Urban Studies concentration are not likely. So I've been considering what to do.

My trip to to the Monterey Bay Aquarium kind of made things click. There are many reasons I am interested in cities, but one of the most important is that cities use energy more efficiently, force people to be healthier, and interact with their environment more than sprawling suburbs. In short, cities are very good for the environment as a whole--though frequently not their immediate environment. It's as if city dwellers are saying, we'll pollute and destroy this one small patch of the earth so the rest of it can remain pristine.

Anyway, the real beauty of Monterey Bay and the life in its aquariums pushed me toward going back and--if I can't complete an Urban Studies concentration--I'll look for classes in environmental studies. And then I'll get to make a movie about what I find out. :)