Another year

Aloha everyone!

Well, a lot has happened since my last post. My parents came to visit for 2 weeks right after I was told that my contract with NOAA would be renewed for another year, and with a substantial pay increase to boot! So I'm really happy and relieved about that, especially considering the crisis with the federal budget this fiscal year. I have a feeling this year is going to be a lot more interesting than the last, and a lot better too. We've recovered our bank account, we'll be making more money, we're fully settled, and things just keep looking up. On top of all that, Daland has a couple of new job opportunities we're waiting to move forward with.

Daland and I have been talking a lot about traveling. We'd really like to plan a trip somewhere new, just the two of us. But unfortunately, without knowing where he will be in terms of a job in the following year, we can't really make any plans. We have a few places on our wish list though: Italy, Greece, Thailand, New Zealand, Bonaire, Curacao, French Polynesia, etc. Well, maybe half of that is just MY wishlist, but I digress...

What's really exciting is that I may very well be heading back to the land down under in about a year. The 2012 International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) is being held in Cairns, Queensland - the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. My work has plans for me to attend this conference as part of my training, especially considering the work I'm doing with NOAA on corals. When I was in Australia, I didn't get to spend very much time in Queensland and I'm ashamed to say it... but I never got to dive the barrier reef either. So I think this would be the perfect opportunity to not only attend the foremost important international conference on corals (and mingle with people whose names I've only seen in academic journal articles and books) but I'll get to to dive the barrier reef as well! So exciting!!!

So here's to another year of living a life where every now and then I have to pinch myself to convince me that it's real. Here's to another year in Hawai'i.

With love and aloha,
Chelsey