Birthday thoughts...

Today is my 27th birthday and what a 27 years it has been. I have gone through GCSE's, A Levels, Degrees (including a masters), a few girlfriends, late nights, early mornings, Meerkats, Cheetahs, the african sunrise, the african sunset and met the most amazing people from all walks of life.

It has only really been in the past 5 years or so that i have really kicked into high gear regarding the wildlife career and when relfecting back i have realised that i have done many things right, but also a few things wrong and on this day i know that i need a new view on things. I need to be more positive, despite all the destruction, death, greed, wasted money, extinctions, melting glaciers and everything else, what do we really achieve from moaning? beating the same drum? playing the heart felt card? It is time to move from destruction to fascination, from a fashion statement to a way of life.

The thing is, today has not been about the presents, gifts, money and getting what i want on the television! (although it is a rather nice change!). For me, my birthday is all about finding that quiet place, a little time for me to reflect and to spend outdoors and just to make sure i do something that costs nothing for my rather empty wallet. It is also a day that reminds me what amazing friends i have and that somehow i need to go and see them more often (living on Jersey can only be used as an excuse for a limited time).
Life is all about the free things, (as the saying goes) and that is how we need to move forward.

Merry christmas everyone :-)

The Last 6 months...

Okay, well i did write this post about 10 minutes ago and then i somehow deleted it! Bugger....

The train of thought has evaporated so this will be a shorter entry to prevent my mind going on overload.


It is time for an update...

So i am back in Jersey, 6 months back in the so called real world, a world of television, celebrities, ready available food, consumerism and money, and does it make me feel?! Ok i guess, well....lets just say i really miss Africa with its wilderness, space and lack of total and utter b%'?^£!t. It is nice to be home, but the adventurer has awakened in me and it will be sooner rather than later until i head off again.


I have hit the ground running over here and could not do more if i tried, I am training to be a BTEC qualified Forest School leader, training to be a qualified bird ringer, actively involved in charities such as the Jersey Climate Action Network, Jersey Bat Group, Durrell and the National Trust for Jersey as well as fundraising (sponsor me!) and soon to be training for Trek Iceland next year (that will be amazing! Have you seen Iceland!?).

I do NOT see myself as a teacher though, more of a wildlife educator, a communicator. Someone i hope that people can approach and see that i am dedicated to my job and that i am here to help with no personal agendas.

The main thing i have learnt is that wilderness is addictive and i am totally addicted. Yet the Meerkat Project taught me that i am not quite a researcher, i am too passionate, take things to personal and too impatient to do research. Yet i love the remoteness and the discovery that comes with scientific research!

So the current plan is to move into film-making/photography/communicating...In a way i think it is great that at 26 years of age i am only just discovering what i want to do, yet another part of me tells me to get on with it! (Sometimes i do go round in circles and make myself smile with the thoughts that come out my head and on to this blog).


All in all, the update is that i am doing all that i can and have learnt that what society gives me does not make me 100% happy, i am only 110% happy when i am emersed in the wilderness of Nature.



P.S. I have recently bought the New Linkin Park album and it is freaking amazing.