Finally spring break! While I may not really be taking a break with 3 papers, biostats, a presentation to write, and research to finish up (or attempt to ) I am looking forward to a week of not having to go to class. Most of my friends are going away to destinations that involve sunshine and heat, which considering the snowfall we just got seems like a great idea.

It's kind of scary to think that this is my last official spring break and that in 2 months I'm going to be out working in grown-up land. I still have no idea where yet, but hopefully I'll hear about 2 of my fellowship apps. in a few weeks and until I know differently I'll keep sending my resume out to the cyberspace drones.

So other than schoolwork what am I going to do with my spring break? Umm, sleep in :)

I was recently reflecting on my situation of having to get a real job and a particular character sketch keeps coming into memory(lost from years of repression, just kidding). Anyway I've always loved bald eagles and I remember hearing how they have to kick their kids (what do you call a teenager eagle chick?) out of the nest so that they learn how to use their wings and fly. I really identify with this, you see I'm the kind of little chick that would be very content to spend her life in the family nest just looking out at the other trees in the distant forest (not down mind you because I really can't handle heights). My parents kicked me out of the nest 6 years ago (kick really isn't the word, maybe gently nudged). The only problem is that I flapped my wings and landed on a branch (ie college) that was only 1 hour away from home and after discovering that the nearest trees were nothing I wanted to do for the rest of my life I managed to make it back into the nest for another year to strengthen my flying muscles.

Take two of launching from the nest occurred when the parents, the yellow moving truck, and my somewhat stronger wing span fell 4 hours away from the nest and landed in a tree that was several trees away from the nest, but not so far that I couldn't scamper my way back to safety. However something was different about this attempt, I discovered a patch of forest that seemed really interesting and somewhere that I would like inhabit (ie. work in as a career). The only problem is that these patches of forest tend to be a very long way aways from the home nest. For a long time I sat on my little branch looking back at the parents and the safety of their nest, but now I'm beginning to hear the call of the far away forests and for the first time in my little eagle existence I'm ready to try out the wings.

So now I'm actively scouting out far away forests, a new chapter of this little eagles story is about to take place and I can take comfort in the fact that no matter where I live the parent eagles (and any of my other forest buddies) are only a frequent flyer trip away.

I guess the moral of this rather, um different, post is that I'm really excited to encounter the next step in my journey. Who knows what or where it'll be but this now older eagle (what do you call an eagle in their 20's?) is ready to fly.