One year ago...

Yesterday was Mother’s Day, which marked one year since graduation from Ohio Wesleyan University. I can’t believe how quickly this past year has gone, and all the things I’ve done in it. This past year has been one of change, both personal and professional. I left old friends, places I love, and a comfortable college lifestyle for an unknown land on my own. I moved halfway across the world to Australia to complete a year-long U.S. Fulbright Postgraduate Scholarship (and I’ve met some amazing people and seen some amazing places along the way!). I lived alone for the first time in my life and was reminded what it’s like to have to make new friends. I bought a car, and along with it both the freedom and responsibilities of owning and running a car. I’ve met an amazing guy (an Aussie!) who I am excited to bring home with me at the end of the year and introduce to my family and friends. I found out from my older brother Andrew, and my sister-in-law, Katherine, that I am going to be an aunt come October! I cemented what aspect of bats I want to focus on in grad school: I want to study the ecosystem services of bats in agricultural landscapes, including how we can get farmers to integrate bats in their pest management strategies and involved in bat conservation (with the overall aim to move towards more sustainable agricultural practices). This time last year I could only have dreamed that this is where I’d be now. And yet here I am.

This coming year holds a lot of exciting things as well. My college roommate, Sarah, is coming to visit for several weeks next month; we will be conducting a Southern Bent-wing Bat winter survey in all known caves in South East South Australia and southwest Victoria in July; I will be attending a cave bat conference in Hungary in September; and Chris and I will (hopefully) be going up north to tropical Cape York with the Australasian Bat Society to participate in the first “Bat Blitz” (a two-week long bat survey). Stay tuned to hear about these (and many other) adventures!