Future UKcidergirl possibilities

I should be researching right now. However, we'll leave the discussion of my ongoing battle with procrastination for another day. Instead, it's time to start talking about the various paths that I see myself approaching in the future and why I may or may not go down certain ones.

First, I love researching and writing on history. Getting my doctorate is something that I am absolutely sure is the right thing for me to do. Also, I am sure I would be very happy continuing on in academia as a professor after I graduate. As it stands, I am not sure if this path will have me teaching in the UK or the US - it is all dependant on where positions are available the year I graduate.

If I am not offered a position directly after graduation, I'm faced with many options of varying appeal.

Holding the most appeal is an Oxford post-doc fellowship. The post-doc would pay me to spend a year turning my doctoral thesis into a book ready for publication. This is tempting, as my current job is not scheduled to end until a year after my expected graduation date. Still, post-docs are extremely competitive so the odds are very small that I will receive one.

Moving away from History (since the above two are really the only options available for that subject), the main option I am currently considering could spark some controversy. But I am nothing if not honest, so here we go...

I am considering applying to the Oxford International Development Department's taught Master's program in International Diplomacy. It is a one year program that would give me an excellent basis in international relations and diplomacy. I realise that some may think this idea is a knee-jerk reaction/influence based on my new job. The reality is that my new job is a reflection of this interest that I've had growing inside me for over a year now.
When it first struck me last February or thereabouts, I was considering going into the Peace Corps for two years after I graduate. Now I realise I want to do something more focussed than that. With a master's in diplomacy, and/or possibly a short internship with the UN or UNICEF, I feel like I would be completely educated and qualified to do the two things I really want to do with my life: 1)Teach people a more wholistic understanding of history; 2)work to bridge social, cultural, and economic gaps in order to improve and enhance people's lives - to be clear, I'm not just talking about the developing nations; I am convinced the people of "developed" nations would lead vasting enhanced lives if they better understood their "developing" counterparts.
One of the best ways for me to realise these two goals would be to have the experience necessary to teach in History, Women's Studies, and International Development/Studies at the University level. With my History DPhil I should be able to do the first two, but I feel like I need more qualification to adequately cover the last. This brings me back to why a Masters in International Development would be so beneficial. It's still early days though, so no definite decision one way or the other has been made.

Having said all of that, I'd love to hear your thoughts...