In my early 20’s I was living every university holiday in Northern California’s Santa Cruz (from 1997-1999) visiting my Australian boyfriend who worked there. It was such a beautiful place overlooking the sea. Everyday, I walked up the hill to the university grounds and swam and sat beneath the redwoods. They were so shady and gentle and made me feel tiny, which I really liked. I think I left my soul there and maybe downtown in the Red Room, and walking home on freezing nights along the ocean cliffs. I wanted to stay and enroll in a PhD course titled The History of Consciousness at UC Santa Cruz. The beautiful university grounds are perched so high on a winding road, with exceptionally beautiful views over Monterey Bay. Big Sur is not far south, and San Fran is not far north. How perfect is Santa Cruz? It’s pretty perfect. Here is an extract to describe the History of Consciousness degree course:
Although history of consciousness does not have formal tracks, it does emphasize a variety of topics and approaches in its seminars and research pursuits. Reflecting a serious concern for social, historical, and cultural theories, these areas of research can be most succinctly identified as studies at the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender; global capitalism and cultural process; psychoanalytic and semiotic theories of the image; science and technology studies; theories and histories of religion; and social movements.
Victoria L. Meyers 