My Goal: Archaeologist

Wukoki Ruin, by Paul Wren

I took a half-day guided hike into the backcountry of Wupatki National Monument in northern Arizona back in 1994. I had been there before, but this was a new experience. The ranger leading the hike was quite knowledgeable, and he brought site maps and survey reports along to help us understand the ruins we were visiting. I was intensely interested in the clues we saw about the people who had lived there over 700 years before, and left wanting more.

Something changed for me-- I suddenly found something for which I had both a passion and a certain competence. After all, Archaeology and software development are both all about solving mysteries!

So, crazy as it might seem, my goal is to earn a Ph.D. in Archaeology and ultimately secure a tenure-track professorship. It is a long journey, and who knows what turns I'll take along the way? Not to worry. As a friend of mine once told me: the journey is the reward.