Years ago, my goals involved a career in science where I got to wear boots instead of a lab coat, extensive travel, and striving to be what I deemed at the time to be an all round "interesting" person.
I graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science in Earth & Environmental Sciences. A professor was ready to take me on for my Masters and even had a position for me in a forestry job which would certainly involve wearing boots and even required me to travel around New South Wales to view different areas of forest.
I was well on my way to being "interesting"
And then I changed my mind.
I don't know if it was as simple as that, but something just seemed off about the whole thing, strangely selfish in a way that I couldn't explain (and still can't) and while investigating whether or not I could get a grant to help fund what would have been a post graduate degree well out of my price range, I applied to do volunteer work with my church.
I was assigned to work in Taibei, Taiwan, and with no regrets got on a plane and turned my back on what would have been over a year of tree surveys and reports.
When I returned to Australia, my degree was 2 years old, which without relevant work experience or post graduate study was not effective at getting me a 'science' job. I admit at this point that I wasn't trying very hard, only partly because I met my husband not long after getting home (highly distracting) and he has since patiently supported me through ill-fated artistic endeavours. I did some book keeping and we even spent some time working at a resort in Rarotonga.
While my New Scientist subscription (yes yes, I had one) has long since expired, and I can't remember the last time I read a science journal of any kind, I believe that it is very important to remain educated on what is going on in the world. Not just science of course, but everything. I think we should all participate as part of a global community and take responsibility for our human citizenship.
Crucial to this is education.
So I'm educating myself, and you're invited along as I try to figure out the stories behind the news and wrap my head around the comings and goings on this dirt ball planet of ours.
My name is Eleanor.
I graduated from university with a Bachelor of Science in Earth & Environmental Sciences. A professor was ready to take me on for my Masters and even had a position for me in a forestry job which would certainly involve wearing boots and even required me to travel around New South Wales to view different areas of forest.
I was well on my way to being "interesting"
And then I changed my mind.
I don't know if it was as simple as that, but something just seemed off about the whole thing, strangely selfish in a way that I couldn't explain (and still can't) and while investigating whether or not I could get a grant to help fund what would have been a post graduate degree well out of my price range, I applied to do volunteer work with my church.
I was assigned to work in Taibei, Taiwan, and with no regrets got on a plane and turned my back on what would have been over a year of tree surveys and reports.
When I returned to Australia, my degree was 2 years old, which without relevant work experience or post graduate study was not effective at getting me a 'science' job. I admit at this point that I wasn't trying very hard, only partly because I met my husband not long after getting home (highly distracting) and he has since patiently supported me through ill-fated artistic endeavours. I did some book keeping and we even spent some time working at a resort in Rarotonga.
 |
| When we lived in Rarotonga. |
Crucial to this is education.
So I'm educating myself, and you're invited along as I try to figure out the stories behind the news and wrap my head around the comings and goings on this dirt ball planet of ours.
My name is Eleanor.
