The World’s Greatest E-mail

Just a few days ago I got one of the best emails in the world! It was from University of San Francisco, sending me an acceptance letter and scholarship offer to their Master in Science program for Environmental Management!!!!! Below are all the courses listed that I will be taking, which makes me have a permanent smile on my face!!! Start date: August 11, 2011

- Air Quality Assessment and Management

- Applied Ecology

- Ecoscience

- Energy, Environment and Sustainability

- Engineering Aspects of Hazardous Waste Management

- Environmental Chemistry

- Environmental Economics

- Environmental Engineering I - Pollutant Fate and Transport in Surface Water and Air

- Environmental Engineering II - Contaminant Transport in Groundwater

- Environmental Health and Epidemiology

- Environmental Law

- Environmental Philosophy and Ethics

- Environmental Policy and Politics

- Environmental Risk Assessment

- Environmental Risk Management

- Environmental Toxicology

- Industrial Ecology and Sustainability

- Management of Chemical and Hazardous Materials

- Management and Environmental Management Systems - Theory and Practice

- Remote Sensing and GIS Resource Assessment

- Restoration Ecology

- Water Quality Assessment and Management

- Wetland Ecology

8.9

One moment I am rock climbing at the local gym here in Santa Monica, complaining that I have a sore throat, which makes me less energetic to climb, and the next moment I come home and check the news at midnight to see the 7th largest earthquake ever recorded just hit Japan.

Sometimes life events like this happen at the exact moment we need perspective.

I am so very thankful. For everything. Every single thing in my life, I am grateful for.

As to the million dollar question: I am going to still try and go to Japan. As of now, there is an advisory warning for American travelers to not visit Japan, so, we can only wait. I emailed Oxfam and Japanese Red Cross to see if I can volunteer during the time I am expected to be over there.

I claimed that this 2 month trip is to do some soul-searching. There is no better way to make a trip worthwhile than to integrate some humanitarian work. My thoughts and prayers are for everyone who passed away in Japan. For now, I can only hope there is a silver lining for them.

http://www.cnn.com/interactive/2011/03/world/hires.japan.quake/index.html

Grand Canyon Photos

Bucket List: Revisited.

6 years in the making…


Bucket List:


Become proficient in a new language
Complete a triathlon
Publish a book
Become a volleyball coach
Read the Bible cover to cover
Get my motorcycle license
Fund a no-kill animal shelter
Plant my own garden
Go skydiving
Make an invention/research discovery that helps the environment
Go in a hot air balloon
Become a teacher
Go white water river rafting
Climb Mt. Kilimanjaro
Work at SeaWorld and watch the birth of a dolphin or whale
Become a doctor
Start a ‘women in science’ scholarship fund for underprivileged students
Learn how to tap dance
Get a tattoo
Build my own telescope and learn the constellations
Be an organ donor
Travel all continents


Bucket List Completed (and loved every second):


Ran a marathon
Graduated college with honors
Professionally sold my photography
Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
Lived on a different continent for a year
Published research
Went Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef
Played for my college volleyball team
Donated my hair to Locks of Love

Life after college...

For almost 2 years, I have been claiming that I am just in a “Transition Phase” until I figure out my life calling.

Moral of this story: I thought growing up was going to be way easier.

CURRENT LIVING SITUATION:

I moved back into the house that I was raised in, home to 17 years of memories. It is really strange to be back home, just for the sheer fact that I feel useless. The last time I was living here, it was my senior year of high school; I had a car, a job, was full time student, and had a solid plan of moving to California to go to college. Now, almost 6 years later, I have zero of those things.

FAMILY:

Luckily, my mom was able to get reservations for us to stay at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, so that is WONDERFUL! We are beginning our 17 mile hike tomorrow!

I just ordered my maid of honor dress for my sisters wedding on June 18th!!!

My Theta Family: Ashley Hanson, Amy Buchmann, and Stacia Stolzenberg and I have all begun a weekly e-mail chain to remind us of what we are all grateful for in our lives. It is a refreshing reminder, as well as a constant opportunity to take a minute to count what really matters in our lives.

TRAVEL PLANS:

I am really looking forward to the Cherry Blossom Festival! When I originally booked my flight to Japan, I was 100% sure that I was OFF MY ROCKER. The more I think about it, the more I am ecstatic I am taking this opportunity! I have no idea when I will ever get 2 months off again, so now is the time.

I will be landing in Tokyo April 5th, and will be there approximately 2 weeks. I am then headed down to Cairns, Australia, to put my new scuba-certifications to use. Two of my life-long (forever and ever and ever) friends I made in Belgium are going to New Zealand the 28th of that month, so I need to buy my plane ticket to adventure with them, but am waiting for my last direct deposit paycheck before I book ANY more flights!!



EDUCATIONAL PLANS:

For those of you who know a bit about grad school applications, I really missed the boat this year. However, University of San Francisco has late application for students interested in a Master in Science Program in Conservation Biology/Environmental Studies. I basically fell in love with this program based off of their course requirements, and hope and pray that I get accepted for August 2011. The classes range from environmental ecology, evolution, chemistry, hydrology, risk assessment, ethics and law, sustainability in the wild, and geology. Amazing classes, amazing professors, and amazing location.

Thankfully, Dr Wright, Dr. Rowland-Goldsmith, and Michael Coursey all helped me by writing letters of recommendation, as well as Amy Buchmann and Dan McLellan who submitted references for the Kappa Alpha Theta Scholarship (in the event that I do get accepted to this program). Thanks to all who helped me out with this!

Fingers crossed for USF, I should be hearing back in just 6 short weeks. Now we wait……

JAPAN

I have been feeling a bit lost. Since getting back from Belgium 6 months ago, I have really been all over the place. I moved back to Orange County to work for Dr. Wright for a while, and then moved to Durango to do Southwest Conservation Corps for a few months, then bounced around until I found Telluride and am now having a hard time being ‘settled’. I realize one thing: I am just looking for my place in this world.

Some say its pretty irresponsible to blow all my money on travels, however I would rather see new places, meet new people, and become 1 step closer to finding out who I really am. This is my priority, and I am going to keep wandering until I have a reason to not.

I booked a 1-way flight to Tokyo on April 5th, and am really excited to see the Cherry Blossom Festival. It is on the same ‘enchanting beauty’ scale as the Keukenhof Garden Festival in the Netherlands, and that was one of the coolest things I have ever seen.


After that, I am not quite sure what I am going to do, but I think I am going to Phuket, Thailand to get open water scuba instructor certified, so that if I am ever bored with my life, I can move to a coastal area and teach scuba class.

Well, that’s it for now. If anyone wants to join, I would love to see you.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoFlTDTR36XRnyhCMSTHRYTjjX2f68fjRWcAaIyMxV2wqDuyGkWQqn8kMhtxVok0P2273CiQP8m4KfVNgQF9vldJ6G7ac3AcSY923vBFZfzRv6jfyr5kMkd1yuHTlkJpjgBFP7i-j-vSs9/s1600/cherry_blossom.jpg

A few more photos of T-ride!

Snow globe shots -