The problem is I don’t see anything that’s wrong with me at the current time. Sure, the lack of a job is pretty disheartening, but it’s not the end of the world. I think my biggest problem is I’m still sad about it being five months since I’ve seen my boyfriend. Long-distance relationships suck.

College is a really big bummer, too. Financial aid gave me the short end of the stick by conveniently losing one of the forms I had to submit back in the fall and never telling me about it. Plus, the only reason why I’m staying in school right now is to defer the loans from Purdue.

Everyone always asks me what I want to do with my life, and the same response I give every single time is that I want to be a flight instructor. Then they proceed to ask what college degree I need in order to achieve that goal. After I’m done laughing, I loudly exclaim “none!” That’s what ticks me off about the whole thing – I’m spending money to save money.

I would love nothing more than to take all the money spent on college tuition and textbooks, and put it toward my IFR rating. Flying used to be my way of leaving the world behind and pretended nothing existed except fuel gauges and landing strips. Now it seems like the world is doing everything it can to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground. And that sucks.

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For a while I was building a 1939 Waco biplane (from Thanksgiving to Christmas). That came to an abrupt halt when the aircraft owner decided he wanted to do his buddy a favor and hire his son. It’s apparent that as a female, I can conquer the cockpit but not the toolbox. Not yet, anyway.In the midst of all the personal stuff going on, I started attending the local Buddhist temple back in the fall. I figured it was a nice place to be able to escape from mindless crap and take a few deep breaths every week. It is since become a major part of my life and I definitely have no idea what I would do without three hours of solitude every Wednesday evening.

On January 14, I celebrated the third anniversary of my relationship with my boyfriend (second anniversary which we’ve been 800 miles apart). He is still waiting to receive the class date for the FAA Academy. I’m still sitting on my butt waiting for him.

I’m trying to think of other stuff that has happened which would be remotely important enough to write down. Not coming up with anything.

At any rate, I’m hoping I can turn this blog back into something it once was. I have no idea what that is, but dealing with stuff quietly gets pretty old after a while.

I transferred from Purdue University’s Professional Flight program to Empire State College’s Environmental Studies program.  As of today I am able to access my online courses and sift through the mountain of information on each course’s website.

Yes, I said “online”.  When I thought about leaving Purdue back in January I realized I had spent over half of my life cooped up in a classroom.  Not anymore!

Anyway, I thought I’d post the course descriptions for the four classes I’m taking this semester.  I’m extremely excited and have already completed a couple of tasks.  Given the fact that classes haven’t even started yet (they start next week), I think I’m on a good schedule.

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Ethnobotany:

Our human ancestors depended on plants for food, shelter, medicine, and clothing. Plants also had a key role in religion and mythology. Knowledge of plants and their uses was vital for survival for early peoples, and many cultures today still depend on plants for many of their resources. In this course, students will learn about plant biology and the role of plants in societies throughout the world. Ethnobotanical field methods will be introduced and students will engage in field/practical activities. Other topics for exploration and discussion will include conservation, sustainable development, bioprospecting, and intellectual property rights.

GPS and the New Geography:

The environment is a major topic of public discussion and debate. Spatial information and geographic literacy is a basis for a growing number of disciplines. From agriculture to climate change, people need to know how location affects our understanding of natural systems. This course combines both topics. In this activity-based course, students will explore environmental science from a geographic perspective using global positioning systems and mass GIS to gather and analyze geographically referenced environmental data while learning about the broader applications of these tools to environmental science and other fields. At the same time, students will get a hands-on look at how geographic data is gathered and turned into maps.

Plant Ecology:

Plant ecology is the scientific study of interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of plants within the environment. This course will introduce students to the fundamental principles and concepts of plant ecology through an examination of plants within the environment. Topics will include: the individual plant and how it interacts with its environment; population biology; communities — how populations of different plant species interact; from ecosystems to landscapes; and global patterns and processes of plant ecology. Some of the subjects covered are unique to plants, such as photosynthesis and the ecology of plant-soil interactions. Other topics, such as resource and mate acquisition, emphasize the distinctive ways plants (in contrast to mobile animals) deal with their environments. Human environmental influences on plants are covered.

Contemporary Environmental Issues:

This interdisciplinary course examines a broad range of contemporary global environmental issues, such as biodiversity, pollution, population growth, and global warming, and focuses on how those big issues might affect us locally. It develops students’ environmental literacy and enables them to take part in informed debate and action. It explores environmental materials in a variety of media and teaches students how to navigate these materials; how to analyze and evaluate information; how to balance information from a variety of scientific and nonscientific, objective and subjective sources; and how to develop arguments surrounding environmental problems.

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I’m excited.