Melbourne Swing Festival Rugcutter Performance, March 2007I handed in my thesis just less than a month ago - got my oral defence this Friday so am starting to raise the stress levels again..... but hopefully all will go well. I have learnt lots about Lyrebirds and as a fellow friend and PhD student told me "You are likely to know more about your own project than anybody else". Fingers crossed I get a reasonable result after all this work.
On the next stage - lots of people are asking "What will you do now?".... I'm still assessing all the options but currently I have become quite interested in working in Education Sections of wildlife parks/zoos.... ideally in years to come, I would love to be teaching people about conservation and wildlife whether it be at a zoo, in a documentary or on a program like Totally Wild (Ch 10). The next Ranger Stacey or something.....
The first step has begun as I applied for a casual relief teaching position at Melbourne and Werribee Zoos and have been accepted for training at Werribee. This will mean occasional work and filling in for people, teaching kids from kindergarten through to tertiary level and generally handling some pretty cool animals in Victoria's premier open range zoo!!!!! I am so stoked and thrilled to be doing this, as it finally feels I have a bit of direction. I am still looking at PhDs and Postgrad Diplomas but so far, the Diploma of Education is looking like it will be the most useful to me at the moment.
As for future dreams and plans - overseas travel (Europe, Asia and Sth America) and conservation volunteering (Africa, Borneo, Sth America, wherever it takes me!)..... hopefully with Kim (yes, all still going well on that front).
Picture of me at Melbourne Swing Festival Disco Party.... 
and performing in the Disco section of the Melbourne Lindy Battle.....As for my social life: swing still dominates. Currently teaching three delightful classes at Ringwood on a Monday night. Working on a showcase routine for the Australian Jitterbug Championships. Performed at a Jazz jam afternoon yesterday. Got the big Beginner's Ball on May 19th, where I'll be looking after my Beginner students and performing too! Social dancing every other Thursday at CBD and currently learning how to be a lead at Kim's classes in Northcote on Tuesdays. So fairly busy in that regard. Still passionate, three years in. Got some great friends and have danced with some amazing international teachers.... so cannot complain there!
Love living in Fitzroy - love the area, the places to go, proximity to the city
even more so.... love living with Kim. So much fun.
That's all from me. Hope all are well. xx
