New Adventures

I did something this week that was strictly for me - not for family; not for work; not for anything else. I attended the Playa Lake Symposium that was held in Amarillo. For a day and a half, I was transported to a new world, but also a familiar world. The topics were familiar - the atmosphere was familiar - only the faces were not. I have stated in a previous post that I have a B.S. in Wildlife Management, but have never worked in the field. It is probably one of my biggest regrets but for whatever reason, God led our family down a different path. I had seen an advertisement in the paper about the symposium, then my spouse sent the info to me and suggested I register. After a lot of procrastinating - I did just that. I had to be at a workshop for work on Tuesday morning, then I headed over to the hotel where the symposium was being held. I sat at a table, listened to the speakers and realized how very much I had missed being a part of that world. It was truly bittersweet. I have no regrets about being married to the sweet man who has put up with me for 25 years, nor do I regret having my children or staying home with them. I truly have enjoyed those times, but a part of me still yearns for the freedom to head out to the canyon for a day or a weekend (or longer) and just be there - trying to ID the birds seen, trying to ID the plants found, and just enjoying the time outside.

I have to admit - if you could see a picture of me - you would not think outdoorsy person! But - I loved the curriculum, the classes, the labs (I really loved the labs!!!) - I enjoyed everything about it.

I guess we'll see where God leads now. Maybe there's still something out there in my field that has my name written on it! I think I will try to post about the information I received at this symposium in the next couple of posts. It was pretty cool!!!