Moving on up

Well, there is a change in the wind and I once again am adjusting my sails. I spent the last three, yes three, years pushing wine, beer, coffee and tea with only one break for a field job. I started a graphic arts program that turned out to be folly besides meeting my wonderful partner. I also dabbled into teaching, which I realized was an absolute ludicrous idea after sitting in on a friends middle school science class. Seriously, what was I thinking! After all that career wandering, I came to realize that I actually missed natural resources. I missed being around scientist who are constantly exploring the natural world and actually challenging my brain. So I started to move forward again and looking into graduate schools and applying for jobs in my field.

After about two months of serious applying, I got an interview with an environmental consulting company here in Poky. I was surprised to get an interview as these kind of companies typically want a masters degree. Then was even more surprised when they offered me the position. I am going to be an Ecologist for them! I am officially some kind of ologist.. wahoo! I will likely be working on a large scale plant survey project for the Caribou/Targhee National Forest (one of my favs =c)this summer. However, they told me one of the reasons they really were impressed with my resume is my wide variety of jobs(about time someone took note of that :). He went on saying I obviously am open to learning a variety of skills so they may have me cross training on three or four different projects. I will be doing the field work for them in the summer, then writing reports in the winter. I am very excited and still a little shell shocked. The pay is actually an adult wage and significantly more than I have ever made (much more than any state job would pay at my level). I start the last week in April!

As always, it can be a bit scary closing a chapter. I don't know what to expect exactly at this new job. They are excited about my writing skills, but I haven't written scientifically for awhile. I hope it is like writing a bike.. =c). Also, The Grapevine has been very good to me despite my complaining about it, and they just barely gave me a raise. I feel a little guilty about abandoning them. However, it is most definitely time to move on. I just hope I am moving in the right direction. Feels right.