multifaceted

I just ran across this program at Indiana University in Bloomington. I read through their site and got the image of what the marketing department wants me to see. It looks like a possible fit on the surface as I really want to develop technologies that people will use. Does anyone have or know of anyone who has experience with this program or university? Also, what is Bloomington like? I haven't lived in a town that small in years. I currently live in a city with over a million people in it. Has anyone else made that kind of transition? What should I be prepared for? Thanks

(This isn't meant to be a sob story so I hope it doesn't sound like one.) I have a Bachelor's degree in the arts from 2002. During an attempt at graduate school in music I realized that while I loved academia, the arts are not right for me. As cliche and as corny as it sounds, I love the idea of the open exchange of ideas and learning. For the next several years, I attempted to get started on a graduate degree in Computer Science at two different schools. Finances finally caught up with me and I had to leave almost 3 years ago at the age of 30. This devastated me and I have always been looking back over my shoulder wondering "What if?" The only jobs I have been able to get are working in small businesses who know nothing about software development. They only got into the business because someone threw some money at them to make a website. My academic and research mindset does not work well with this and I have been fired from the last two jobs I have had. The internet has let me be an academic somewhat vicariously. iTunes University and MIT OpenCourseWare are what keep me sane sometimes. The mathematical rigor of Computer Science provides the structured environment that I thrive off of. I often quote Bjarne Stroustroup "I prefer to know when a system works, and why." This is again different from the world of small business IT which says "just get it working and if it breaks we'll deal with it." My areas of interest is programming languages (namely domain specific languages and virtual machines) and I also am interested in software systems development methods. I order used textbooks off of Amazon and EBay for low prices so that I can at least keep my academic side busy but it's not enough. Basically, I am 33 years old (approaching 34) and I have finally realized that I want to return to academia and not leave. I think that I need to get a Ph.D. and become a researcher and/or professor. I could theoretically do this by the time I am 40 if I were to get started in the fall of 2010 and that includes a year of prerequisites. I am not married, have no children, and very few financial commitments outside of previous student loans which will be suspended if I re-enroll. First off, am I nuts? I have these thoughts about pursuing my dream and then I also have visions of being the oldest person there trying to recapture my youth. I don't want to be the odd person out because most other students my age will likely be married. The school I want to go to is the one I had to leave before. I didn't leave with the greatest academic record but the last 3 years have made me more focused because I know what is waiting for me if I don't do it. How do I get this across to them? It's not an A-list school but it is up and coming. They are the best public school in the state probably. I really want to go back and finish what I started where I started it. Any thoughts are comments someone might have would be appreciated. Thanks.