I came to a realization while being depressed about my studies. I need to get out of this city, perhaps even this country for awhile. Pensacola just isn't the place to be when you're wanting to do deep sea research. So I've been researching how hard it is to get a student visa to go over to Australia, and it seems pretty complicated. I can only work there for 20 hrs a week and that's only after my studies have begun, so I'm not sure how I would be able to support myself while paying about $14K a year in tuition and having a place to live. There's also the complication of my boyfriend. He would want to go, but him coming over will probably be even more complicated than what I have to go through and I don't know if he can work over there either. So....I guess I'm just gonna have to keep looking and start talking to some people here to see what information I can find. Who knows? Mebbe I'll just ditch my boy toy to hook up with some hot Aussie!

These are on a shirt I got from MERS (Marine Ecological Research Society) that I'm in at school...

10. Nobody cares where your tattoos are.
9. It's okay to have a famer's tan and raccoon eyes.
8. A day at work can mean a day at the beach.
7. It's good to be neutrally buoyant.
6. You can work on your tan as you work on your research.
5. It's a great excuse to go fishing.
4. You can wear a bathing suit without looking unprofessional.
3. Even you look slim in a wetsuit.
2. You'll happily jump into shark infested waters.

...and the #1 reason to be a Marine Biologist...
1. Any day on the water is better than a day in the office.

Too bad we don't make any money doing it. Oh well, I'm in this field because I love it, not because it pays well...

Do any of you ever get to that point in life when you wonder if you'll ever be finished with school? I do. With the exception of summer breaks, I've been in school continuously since I was 4. So, that's how many years of my life I've spent in school? I can't wait until I graduate this coming summer (hopefully) and then take a semester off to relax and actually build up a little money.