NEXT next chapter!

Hello after a long hiatus!

After finally graduating in December, and searching for jobs for several months, I finally found something--I've been working at National Wildlife Federation headquarters in Reston, VA since May 16th. I am a Blue Ridge Research Assistant; I'm researching/compiling information about wildlife, land use, geology, water quality, property owners, environmental threats, etc. in the northern Blue Ridge Mountains in Virginia/West Virginia so that priority conservation areas can be identified and a conservation corridor/coalition can be created. So far it's been really interesting, I've been able to pull together aspects from land use planning and conservation biology and integrate the information so it's really exactly the subject area I'm interested in. It's only until August, so I'm still searching for something permanent. It would be great to keep on working here! But we'll see what kinds of opportunities come up.

I'm excited because I think I kind of have a career mentor--one of the board members of an organization that we partner with, Friends of the Blue Ridge Mountains, has a background in urban planning and was involved with creating the project that I'm working on. He has given me career advice and offered to put me in touch with organizations that might be hiring. It's a bit early to say, but he may be the career mentor that I've been searching for!

I just found a place to live in Falls Church, VA. It is close to the W&OD bike trail that also goes right past my work. I can't wait to try commuting via bike! It is about 10 miles door to door. I am living with a couple in their early 30s who moved from Czech Republic/Slovakia about 8 years ago. It is a house in a quiet neighborhood, so parking is easy and it only takes about 15 min to drive to work.

I'm still doing barre classes, running, biking, and dabbling in other exercise. I tried indoor rock climbing for the first time in November and have since done it two more times, and I finally learned how to ski in January. I just did bikram yoga yesterday for the first time in several years....and it was super hot here in DC yesterday so it was rough! But felt good.

This weekend I'll just be settling in and getting furniture for my place, and hanging out with Nick school people. Oh and So You Think You Can Dance started up again, so I'll probably catch up with that on Hulu!

Cheers mate.