Lost count of what number I'm on...

I've landed at the home-base that A has offered to all of us Canadian expats. For the first time in ... months?... I am starting to feel relaxed. I definitely have different levels of relaxed. I would place my current level of relaxed-ness somewhere on the scale between beach-relaxed (which involves my body being capable of only the basic functions of swimming, floating, eating and drinking) and country-relaxed (which involves my body still needing to absorb new information on a daily basis).

Knowing that I have this course to look forward to and the associated ability to make money afterward helped my mind calm down a little. Also, the fact that I'll have an interesting project to work on and learn new things AND have an Oxford related research project to add to my CV also helped my mind relax a little.

I have known for a while that environment related projects and initiatives have funding issues, but actually seeing it in real life and knowing that if I want to work on an envr initiative that really interests me, I'd have to either go into debt or do it part time... kinda... blows. For lack of a better word.

I have heard back from several of the paid internships and jobs that I have applied for and the main comment I get back is that they have found someone better qualified for the position. Not unexpected. I have no marketable skills. It still amazes me that I spent 3 and a half years at one of the best universities in the world, and I, like many of my peers, can't find a "decently" paid position in our field.

Yes, I know. It is only a bachelors and I'll get field experience over the next while before I do my masters and the economy, and this and that. I just think that the program could be designed better. I remember a conversation I had before finals with a friend who was also graduating at the same time. We were plotting how we could re-invent our program so that there were class credits available to students who wanted to work on projects to gain real-life experience in our field.

Anyway, all that aside, today A is meeting with a friend to ask about mediation courses for me. Have I mentioned that Environmental Mediation is my newest idea? I've been trying to find articles and papers on the subject and so far, it seems perfect for me. A is a mediator and has recently specialized in criminal mediation, called restorative justice, between offenders and victims. I would ideally specialize in environmental mediation, ideally something involving water issues.

We'll see if this is something that can actually be done. Otherwise, I'll just have to invent the field. I am waiting on an email response from a prof who was going to look into the matter for me.

Other than all that, I have tentative plans to head to France to meet up with a friend from Kamp (that is how I will always spell it, I don't care if they have changed it to a C and added YMCA, it will always remain Kamp).

A and co are plotting to kidnap me and keep me here as long as possible. :) I love them.

Does anyone know of any grants or somewhere I could find funding to write up a paper for publication, even though I'm not in school? My profs want me to publish my research, but I'm hoping I can find a way to earn some money while I'm working on it.

Cheerio!