hey, if you read this, leave me a shout-out at the end of a posting. i have no idea who reads this, so let me know who you are and what you think!

i always find it interesting when you come across intriguing people where you least expect it. i love meeting new people and exploring new connections, but sometimes a person just strikes you as someone you'd really like to get to know. i'm not sure how often that usually happens, but i get surprised by it sometimes with someone out of the ordinary. i don't mean it necessarily in a relationship sort of way, although that applies at times, too. i mean people who seem to get under your skin, who you want to hang out with, find out how they feel about certain issues, see how they react to what you have to say. while i believe that every person out there is special in some way, occasionally you meet people who really seem to reach out specifically to you. i met someone like that this weekend, and i was fascinated by the way this person spoke, acted, treated people... nothing strange, but caught my attention. i'll have to find a way to keep in contact....

i finally finished my first website review. i'm attempting to incorporate my (somewhat sketchy) writing skills with my environmental affinity. this translates into an opportunity i found a few months ago, writing for a new online journal called frontiers in ecology and the environment (with the ecological society of america). the call for writers requested reviews of environmental websites as potentially useful resources to biologists and ecologists. the website i reviewed, serc online, provides up-to-date information about state-by-state legislative action and pending policy. it also supplies research and background information to concerned citizens and legislators who may want to introduce new environmental legislation. anyway, it took me three weeks to finally get around to writing the review, even though it only had to be 350-400 words. yes, i suck. but hey, i've been busy with my real job. hopefully it gets accepted, though, i'd like to add that to my repertoire of skills.

in the works: a possible trip to europe! my lovely friend ivy is living in belgium as a fulbright scholar until august, and she's fun to travel with and hang out with (plus she speaks seventeen languages! :)). i'm seriously thinking about going out to visit her in late may/early june to see some of the world that i've never seen before. belgium, france, germany, and amsterdam are close enough for train trips, and places like mallorca, venice, and maybe mediterranean islands or greece are only short plane hops away. i haven't been to europe since i was nine, and don't remember much. even having been, we didn't get to most of the countries i mentioned (the 1988 trip was to hungary, austria, and germany, and involved much relative- and old-family-friend-visiting). i'm starting to look into plane fares, which are somewhat astronomical for my budget, but it would be entirely worth it if i could swing it. i'm so excited about the prospect! it gives me something to look forward to...