Tree Care Health Practitioner Assistant, 30%

Finally, after two years of waiting for funding from Montana State, I got an unexpected email.

"Lisa, are you still interested in a graduate student position?"

Of course, this happens only after I had finally decided I was going to "settle down" for a while. I'm in the process of house-shopping, dreaming of dogs and sugar gliders, hyping myself up at the thought of a stable and - dare I say? - domestic lifestyle. Ok, more like force-feeding the thought of staying put down my throat... But still, it was a plan, which is more than I can say for what I had before. (Though, having no plan was a helluva lot more exciting!)

Seeing as I applied long ago, I had to find my grad school application statement and read it a few times to remember what I had even wrote! I knew I would probably have a hard time with the interview, just because I hadn't even given grad school much thought in so long!

I got a call from three people over speakerphone - which always distracts me enough as it is, with all that echoing! - and did my best to sell myself. The project sounds pretty cool, it's been ongoing since 1996 and there will be three students working on it. It involves a lab experiement involving constructed wetlands and waste treatment; one student works on how wetlands break down waste, one student works on microbial aspects, and the position I interviewed for would be a greenhouse and lab job. It isn't exactly what I am geared towards when going there, but I think it would be great experience. I have no clue how the interview went, but I'll know in a week!

There was one catch though: When I asked when they want me to start, they said "Yesterday!" As in, they want me there as soon as possible, before the summer. They said they MIGHT be able to postpone it until the fall, but it's not what they prefer.

Yikes. Every time I sit down to relax, I have to make some huge life-altering decision! Leave my full-time job and head west??

Hey, maybe I won't even have to make that decision if they didn't like my interview. :)

I just finished up a three day Certified Arborist Course, so I can take the test and officially become a tree dork! Though I really do like forestry. If anybody needs any tree work done, I'm your chainsaw kitten!