One thing after the other -- in a good way!

So much has happened in the last two weeks. To recap - 1 week in beautiful Algarve Portugal surrounded by gorgeous beaches, hott bodies, lots of dancing, and delicious food; followed by a week in historical Lisbon and more siteseeing in the cities around Lisbon. Meeting new people, networking, and making friends have been as easy as breathing. I have never had so much fun and thought so much about my future all at the same time before... It was seriously go-go-go! Now I'm back in Figueira with my family and it seems like someone lifted an emergency break on the fast paced life I was experiencing for a while there. The figurative whiplash is taking it's form as constant naps and a neverending blank stare. But no worries, now it's time for updating my resume, writing cover letters, translating them to Portuguese, and sending them out! Thanks to amazing friends I already have a long list of places to send resumes. Every day I feel more and more like I made the right decision by coming here!

My next post will be concerning ideas on how to improve my blog... but before I start writing, does anyone have any ideas that may help me out? I am a woman on a mission... a mission for success!

Taking 100% responsibility for my life

One of the main concepts most people say about becoming successful is that you need to take 100% responsibility for everything that has happened to you, and everything that has yet to happen to you. If you think positively and ask for what you want, if you dream big, and if you only talk about good things, then you'll receive only good things in your life... you see only opportunity. On the other hand if you think about negative stuff, daydream about things you don't want to happen, and basically focus your energy on what you don't want then you are attracting only obstacles. Thoughts are powerful and someone who masters his/her thoughts is the master of his/her life.

Therefore the first major thing I want to focus on is learning to only think, dream, and say positive things. I don't even want to think about what I don't want... I only want to think about what I do want. Then I will be able to focus my actions on what I do want. I also accept everything that has happened to me up to this point, and accept complete responsibility for all my success and failures. I want to understand how the thoughts that led to my actions have resulted in everything I have now... only then can I learn to receive more. Another part of taking 100% responsibility comes from knowing and asking SPECIFICALLY what you want. For instance, instead of saying I want to be a writer I should say that I want to be a novelist of mystery and romance; I also want to write about aquatic conservation and begin my own website and a type of online magazine.

I began a while back by writing down everything I want in full detail, from the type of house I want to the type of man I want. I wrote down how much money I want saved by 35 years old and which assets I want to have by then. How I will look and feel physically, what type of activities I will participate in, and how often I will see my family and friends. I have also started to look for jobs based on the career I want, and in the areas I want the jobs in (I've narrowed down my search to Oregon, Massachusetts, the United Kingdom, and of course Portugal).

On that note, another thing I want is to enjoy every minute here. Starting tomorrow I will be galavanting south Portugal, from Lisbon downward. I cannot wait!

Hand-washing woes

So, things in my life are certainly never boring. Last week I got stuck in the library with a dead cell phone and no way to call my parents to pick me up and no way to get home (I don't drive manual cars - which of course is what my parents drive). Luckily then I had wireless internet connection, my laptop, and facebook to help me out. This week, today, was washing clothes by hand.

Now my mom and stepdad have a washing machine, of course. But I like to wash/rinse out my bathing suits by hand... and seeing as how we live by the ocean, I am at the beach fairly often. We used to have a stone basin to hand wash clothes in the laundry room... you know, the kind with the ribbed side to do some hard core scrubbing. Well my stepdad recently replaced that one for a normal sink. Little did I know that the pipes to this normal sink were not in place.... therefore, rinsing out my bikini resulted in a flooded laundry room (of course I caught on to what was happening quickly, but you know how water just spreads.. even when it's only a little).

Bah....that's what I get for not paying attention I suppose.

I love Portugal!

And the work starts. I don't mind writing work and not fun because in Portugal every day is fun, even if nothing is going on. I am so lucky for an opportunity to live in a place where people vacation and in a house with the most gorgeous view imaginable. Life is good!

My mother and stepdad have made me feel extremely welcome - it's like I have always been here. I have seen my dad once so far and will hopefully be seeing him again soon. After 6 years of living apart from my parents, I am very grateful for this opportunity and have realized just how important being close to them really is to me.

The country is gorgeous of course. On my drive home from the airport we passed an old castle - still the only I've seen so far - and was in awe. I am amazed every time I see one. Of course I love the USA, it's my home and always will be, but Europe is absolutely breathtaking and full of history. I always wonder what it must have been like to live here even 50 years ago... Incredible.

On the job searching front - I have begun to contact people this past week. I am not exactly sure what I want to do with marine biology yet, except I know it's going to be in the area of coastal conservation. I still like the idea of wetland protection and restoration, along with beach restoration. Now it's time to see if I can find a job in that area and gain experience!

Everything else is coming along slowly. I want to keep positive and not complain, therefore I won't get into the things that have been annoying/worrying me *cough* student loans *cough*. Maybe I can find a bookstore in Coimbra that sells books in English, so I can find some uplifting positive things to read.

Most importantly, now that I am here I can focus on my writing and researching different aquatic conservation/restoration programs that are happening, and news in the world of aquatic biology world wide. Of course, that's what I ultimately want to do... Bring awareness to the general public about what is happening in the world of aquatic biology. Wish me luck!

School is out and confusion begins

It's been so long since I've last written, but life surely hasn't been uneventful. I finished school at the beginning of June (YAY), ended up needing to find my adorable puppy a new home because my back-up plans fell through (boooo) but luckily found her a great new home, gave away most of what I owned, and moved out of my apartment and out of Florida. I helped move my sister into her new place, dotted all the i's and crossed all the t's for my Portuguese citizenship, and have visited family and friends here in Massachusetts (which took 31 hours by car to get here - long story in itself).

It's been a rather emotional month and a half, to say the least. And to top it off, I'm starting to get the "am I making the right decision" worries. You know, regarding going overseas and trying to start my life as a self-employed writer. My brain wonders if it would be smarter to stay here, find a job, and just be practical. But my heart wants to cry at that thought, and every time I look for jobs (just in case) there is not one that looks even remotely interesting.

Life after graduate school. The educated novice. A newbie in the world outside of academics; essentially equipped to deal with anything life throws at me, but not knowing what to do or where to begin. This is why I started this blog. Because no matter who you are, if you have a job lined up or not, life after school can be terrifying and confusing. Are we making the right decisions; will we succeed or will we fail. After all the time and money spent, and the long hours studying, can we really make a life for ourselves that we really love and that is meant for us.

I guess that is all for now. My brain hurts just from going over and over what I'm really doing.

So much to do, so little time!

Well the month long count down is on! This is what I need to do by June 20th (in no particular order):


- Put together my thesis presentation.


- Present my thesis presentation (hopefully on June 2nd!)


- Give away most of my clothes to charity (especially since my Mom will insist on going shopping with me; In her opinion I lack a sense of style). 


- Figure out what my sister and friends want to keep from my apartment, and sell/give away the rest of my stuff.


- Make sure the Veterinarian knows that my sister will be watching my dog. Also make sure that my sister has the Vets phone number and knows where the animal clinic is located. 


- Make sure to meet with my friends in Miami and hang out before I leave.


- Contact the bank and tell them that I will be traveling overseas for a while. 


- Buy a couple cute dresses, skirts, and shirts for Portugal. Also need new flip flops.


- Help my sister move into her new place.


- Pack my books and find a place to store them (most likely my sister will hold on to them).


- Actually book my flight to Portugal from Boston, and a flight from Miami to Boston.


- Contact all my family and friends in Boston and let them know that I will be heading back there before going overseas. Schedule to meet and catch up. 


- Super duper clean my apartment before the walk-through so I can hopefully get my security deposit back (which probably won't happen since my 2 year old Chocolate Labrador has done quite a number on the carpet).


- Figure out which books to bring and which to buy so I can read on the flights and in Portugal.


- Buy a couple new bathing suits.


- Contact friends in Portugal and let them know when I arrive.


- Get magazines for Mom (she definitely misses 'Good Housekeeping').


- Eat all the Jamaican, Haitian, Mexican, and American food that I can because once I go overseas it won't be as available to me (if at all). 


- Give the University my Mom's address so they can mail me my diploma.


- Make some extra money working for a week at the University Center. 


- Make sure I have enough money to travel with and work out finances for while I am away.


- Continue to look up marine science workshops and conferences so I can contact the people in charge once I get in Portugal and see if I can attend.


- Have a nice tan going before I leave. Also enjoy Florida as much as possible before leaving it.


The reason all this needs to be done in less than a month is because around June 20th I am heading to Boston. Once there I will visit with family and friends, and go to the Portuguese consulate to work on my dual citizenship. By July 10th I plan on being on my way to Portugal - paperwork done, luggage packed, goodbyes and see-you-later's told, and happy face set in place. 


This is my personal checklist. If you want to travel or move overseas I'd recommend beginning to plan about 3 months in advance. Make sure you contact the bank and tell them that you want to travel, where, and when. Find out what the requirements are for the countries that you want to travel to, and contact the consulate. Get all your paperwork in order: passport, visas, etc.


Make sure your school work is completely finished and everything is signed off by the university. The last thing you want to happen is for the University to e-mail you saying that there is something else you need to do. Either have your mail sent to someone you trust, or have someone you trust stop by your home once a week to get your mail while you are gone. 


Get your itinerary in order and make the associated travel plans: hotels, car rentals, train passes, or get someone to pick you up from the airport. Make sure there is someone (family or friend) who knows where you are going, when you are going there, how long you plan on being there, and where you will be staying. 


Anyway, let the adventure begin!

After Graduation I Want To Go To Portugal!

I submitted the third draft of my thesis to my advisors last weekend. I also asked if it's possible to defend in the first week of June. I have not received a response yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed! It figures that after all the classes and exams, science students still need to work on research proposals, the research itself, large papers, and defense presentations in front of fellow peers and instructors. And how long this process takes varies with each student and each project. Sometimes taking years to complete!



Writing a thesis is completely different from writing for fun. Especially since everything needs to be perfectly cited in the text, making the process only that much longer. Yet another reason why I always said that I'd rather be a field biologist than a primary investigator, or professor. Just thinking about all those grants and proposals, not to mention the reports after the research has been completed... Just the thought if it makes my head hurt.



At least after all this work I have something wonderful to look forward to. I plan on spending time with my parents in Portugal, and I want to leave at the beginning of July. I hope to write while I'm there and practice my portuguese. I'm also in the process of trying to get dual citizenship, so I can go back and forth as I please. Another reason that makes having Portuguese citizenship such a great thing is that with it I can easily travel and live in any of the other European countries, without needing a visa. You better believe that if I get this writing thing in control I'll be spending time in Italy. For sure!



I have already begun to look for marine science workshops and conferences in Portugal. I found one that has peaked my interest which is happening in September. The best part is that it will be taking place in the city my Mom lives in! I am super excited, and am hoping that it's open to the public. Once again, fingers are crossed!



While I'm not writing or networking with other scientists, I plan to just enjoy myself. That includes eating lots of great food, learning my Moms secrets in the kitchen, catching up on some reading, and getting back into shape. My mom and stepdad live along the coast, and the ocean is less than a mile from the house. There is a nice long boardwalk that I plan on becoming acquainted with and running on in the mornings. I also want to bring my yoga mat and brush up on some much needed meditation and flexibility/strengthening exercises. Of course drinking lots of wine and watching soccer games with my dad goes without saying!



Speaking of soccer, I hope my Portuguese team make it far in the FIFA world cup 2010!!!

A little more on who I am and what I'm about

I'm back! As written in my profile, I am currently finishing my MS in marine biology. I love everything dealing with the ocean, but I would certainly be a liar if I didn't admit to being relieved about finishing school. It has been a long, and difficult at times, road.

I have always been near the ocean. I grew up in small New England town that is comprised really of only the beach and farms. Looking back, I was very lucky because I lived in a safe area where I could run outside all day and my parents didn't need to worry about cars or strangers.

Ever since I was a child I had two loves (other than my family, of course): nature and books. I could spend hours outside climbing trees, walking through the woods in our backyard, looking up insects in the encyclopedia, and reading books by the bundle. I easily went through four 300-page books in a week by middle school. And I had a very vivid imagination, and would make up stories in my head that I always said I would turn into books one day.

Now I'd say that I'm pretty smart but I've never been the best student. When it came time to go to college I decided to study biology, even though english came easier to me. A couple times I thought about changing my major, but I stuck with science because it was interesting, even though it was harder to learn. I also had a couple part time jobs during college, and one of them was in a biogeochemical laboratory testing estuarine water quality. It was this job that really solidified my interest in making a difference in the world of marine science.

I was accepted to a marine biology program in Florida, and this is where I've been for some years now. Once I moved here, I began to travel a bit more and have had the opportunity to see some amazing places. The most influential trip since beginning graduate school was Australia. I spent a month there studying the Great Barrier Reef, and got to see the rainforest and the savannah. My trip to Australia helped me to realize two things: that I wanted to increase the public awareness about what is happening to our oceans and that I wanted to travel more and see the world.

Unfortunately, I wasn't really sure how to go about doing that. I finished classes and began working on my final project, which I will call a thesis for simplicities sake. I had a full-time job doing nothing related to my field, but it paid the bills. I tried applying for jobs in marine science, but couldn't find anything. Anyway, to fast forward to the present, once classes were over I had a hard time figuring out what I was doing and where I wanted to go. I wanted to make a difference, but for a while I wasn't sure how, and I've never known if a PhD and teaching college is for me. I also know that I don't want to stay in Florida but I wasn't sure where to move to.

Even though most of my extended family still live in New England, my parents both moved to Portugal. My sister was living on the west coast for a while and then last year came to live near me here in Florida. I love being near my sister, and I must admit that warm weather and sunny skies all year long are extremely nice, but Florida still doesn't feel like home. And my experiences trying to find a job haven't been positive either.

Now I know that many people will probably think that I, and others in my shoes, should just apply for jobs all over the country and move where one pops up. And for a while I thought that way too. But I began to think about my experiences leading up to where I am now, and everything I've done and who I am. I love working outside, but do I really want a job where I'd spend hours cooped up in a lab each week? And can I really just move to a place I may not care for, just for the money? And what about my dreams of making a difference? How much of a difference was I really going to make by just taking 'any job that pops up'? Would my heart really be into it?

One idea I've always had was incorporating my interest in writing with my background in marine biology and interest in conservation efforts. But I've never known how to do that or if that idea was even something I could do. Is there any money in it and how would I get started?

Well, a couple weeks ago I purchased a book called 'The Success Principles: How to get from where you are to where you want to be'. It is written by Jack Canfield, who also happens to be the co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul'. I honestly recommend this book for anyone who wants to do more in their lives. It is uplifting, inspirational, and has lots of great points. It got me thinking about my dreams and how to go about making them come true. I started to realize that all the answers may have been sitting in front of my very eyes, and I just was too blind, or too scared, to see them.

I've decided to take steps towards becoming a writer, and I am sure that I will figure out a way to write about conservation efforts happening worldwide along our coastal communities. I also want to integrate my love for traveling in my plans and see more of this world that we live in. I want to educate people about the marine and freshwater ecosystems, not in the classroom, but in more relaxed and fun settings. It certainly won't be easy, and I am certainly scared, but I deserve it to myself to give it a good solid try.

I hope that everyone who is finishing school and looking ahead really allows themselves to do something they love. You may need to do some soul searching to figure it out, or maybe you already know what you want to do but don't know how to make it happen. Reading an inspirational or goal-oriented book may help you, like it helped me. Once school is 100% over I plan on packing up and spending some time with my parents overseas. I am also going to try getting dual citizenship, which could help me in my travel plans. What is it that you want to do? Would it help to live with family for a little while? While the thought at first may not seem ideal, especially if you've been on your own for a while, it may be good to have that support and help. And it is never too late, nor are we ever too old, to ask for help.

I hope that whatever it is you choose to do, that you really give yourself every opportunity you can to be successful and do what you love!

So here goes nothing: my first blog!

I am hoping that this will be an exciting start in the wonderful world of writing: a place where I can get my creative juices flowing and begin life as an aquatic conservationist, an environmentalist, a journalist and novelist, a traveler, a world citizen, and even as a photographer.

The title of my blog - The Educated Novice: Life After Grad School - may imply that I am actually finished with graduate school, however I am still in the last steps. While I would like this blog to be the start of a potential writing career, my actual mission is to reach other young adults who are finishing school and are not sure what they want to do next. Therefore, I wanted this blog to begin with my last steps in school and my transition into the great big world of careers: really to many of us, the unknown.

Along with finding a job, graduates have many other dilemmas and decisions, such as setting up loan repayment plans and figuring out where to live. And of course, after all the time, money and hard work, we want careers that we love, not just those that pays the bills. Sometimes even though we know the direction that we want to take we still haven't fine tuned exactly what we should be doing.

While everyones journey is different, hopefully reading about my own personal path will be helpful for others. I welcome comments about my posts and advice that anyone may have. I only ask that readers are respectful towards me and other readers. And of course I will always respect and encourage your opinions.

Thank you for allowing me to share my journey with you, and stay tuned for my next post!