Still here.

It's been three weeks now and I suppose I feel a bit more at home.  I've started work for Professor Singer at Wesleyan.  This generally consists of laying sheets under branches, hitting said branches with sticks, and seeing what falls out of the branches onto the sheets.  We collect some of the caterpillars that fall out of the branches and then raise them in the lab.

On an interesting note, I've started to sell my pictures on www.istockphoto.com.  I know, it's sort of cheesy to plug my own work, but it's a pretty cool site and you can buy digital copies or prints at some pretty reasonable prices.  My member name is cskorik, so check it out if you're at all interested in copies of my work.  I'll be uploading more of my pictures there as time goes on.  Alternatively, I have also been in touch with the print lab at my school, and I'm going to try to get my panoramas printed in large formats.  If any of you readers out there (provided you still read this blog) would be at all interested in large format prints, please shoot me an email and we can work something out.

To view my work, click here.

Back.

I'm officially back from Australia.  I've been back for less than 24 hours, and I've already been completely shell shocked by so abruptly changing everything about my life.  Seeing everyone again, especially everyone back at Wesleyan, has been incredibly interesting.. I have so much to tell them, but absolutely no context for doing so... I end up just not knowing what to say.  Oh well.. I guess I'll get comfortable reasonably soon.

I'm going to try and start selling prints of my pictures.  Not a big deal at all or anything, but I'm thinking I'd like to start selling mainly my panoramas in very large format prints, price and sizes to be determined.  If anyone would be at all interested in purchasing anything like that from me, don't hesitate to email me; that will certainly expedite the process of me figuring out how to get large prints of my work, which would be great in general.  I'm also thinking of producing some sort of digital catalogue of my work so that people can order from me if they'd like.  

Right then, time for some sleep.

Why I can't wait to come home.

I'm almost done with an extremely long research project; the only thing that's stopping me, in fact, is a stupid piece of crap 6 year old printer that'll print a half of a paper and then give up and force me to start over. Thanks. Well at least I'm done writing, eh? Anyhow, I'm tired of being here. I'm not going to lie, this whole project has really made me question how worthwhile research of this type is. It's an incredible amount of work for a publication (or, non-publication, in my case) that people will not read, just cite in their further research, provided they even continue your research ever. I investigated growth habit traits with regards to frost resistance in rainforest seedlings. So what? Really! So what?? This is interesting to NO ONE. I would have much rather just had free reighn over some sort of method of transportation and just rode around the Tablelands, creating some sort of wildlife photography portfolio. Who likes pictures? Everyone. Are they important? Yes; they might make people realize that the environment is kind of interesting after all. Me spouting statistics about relative foliage retention with resepect to minimum foliage height and foliage densities isn't going to make anyone interested. Ever. I know this is just a negative spouting of nonsense, but at this point in my life, I don't think I can honestly say I'm interested in the career I've chosen for myself. I suppose I'll probably feel differently when I return home, but right now I can't wait to get out of here, away from this pointless study and all of the nothing it has accomplished.

Why can't I wait to get home? Simple. I've got five more days here in this forest and I can't wait to leave. I've been here longer than I've ever been a foreign country, longer than I've been stuck in the middle of a jungle, longer than I care to be here. I long to have my own room; to be able to drive a car downtown more than about once a week; to walk around barefoot on clean hardwood floors that aren't always covered with dust and dirt; to be able to walk down the hall to a bathroom in the middle of the night instead of down a jungle path; to be able to sit down to eat with my family and friends and tell them my stories and show them all of my pictures (what I've posted on here is around 1% of all the photographs I've taken here). I want to make a little money instead of watching my balance drop. I want to sleep in a bed that isn't cold and wet, and doesn't smell like mold. I'm totally aware that I'll probably get home and miss this place and all of the people here; I'll come to appreciate the things I've learned and the time I've spent. But that's always the case. I'm itching to get on a plane.

In five days I board a Qantas flight (possibly my last) and I won't stop traveling until I've gone 5,000 miles. The journey will take 34 hours and because I'll be crossing the international dateline it will be May 8th for the entire trip. In fact, it will be may 8th for a total of 38 hours. That's going to be a bitch, but it'll be worth it. When I finally lay down in my bed at 11:30 PM, May 8th, I'll be home.