Thursday, July 22, 2010

Day 179 - San Jose

Well, I'm in San Jose, CA! It's been a good trip. I wouldn't say a great trip because I'm alone in a beautiful city without Martin. He is hoping to go to Haiti in November so he wanted to save his vacation days for that. I have a beautiful view of the mountains right outside my window. I'm staying in the Fairmont Hotel right in the middle of the city. I've walked around a bit and ate a few different places. My hotel room is on the top floor and it's very spacious so I'm enjoying being alone, reading, and working.

San Jose is a beautiful city but I'm finding that it's got it's fair share of shady characters! I'm used to being in Philly or NYC and being able to blend in. But here, if you are walking alone you are noticed by the shady characters. So for that reason I am happy to be tucked in to my hotel room around 7:30 every night.

As for the conference, I'm loving it! I'm a little fish in a big pond here. Most people are from major universities and schools all over the country. There are IT (tech people) here, faculty, and administrators. And then there is me - I know just enough about everything to be dangerous. I love my job and am so thankful that I've been able to build IJS online from the ground up. I'm learning about all these new little gadgets that I can explore when I get back. The funny thing is - IJS is ahead of the curve. It's so funny. Major universities are just now starting to dabble in distance learning. Their thought process is what our faculty thought process was last year: Will this work? How can I truly communicate and teach through the Internet? All of these are very scary thoughts for a teacher.

One of the things I've battled with here is a desire to go back to school to get my computer science degree. I know I could learn so much from going back to school but I just don't think it's a reality for me now. And is computer science what I would want to major in? I must admit that I have found a love for taking a bunch of nonsense and making it into designs or programs. I guess that's the formula lover in me. I hated math and chemistry but give me a formula (NOT in a word problem!) and I would take up two pages trying to solve it.

But this I know, I have the perfect job right now and Lord willing, we will be working on our adoption process and that on top of being a wife and ministry at church is making my life very full and will continue long after I leave San Jose. And if that desire to go back to school stays and I'm able to - then okay.

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