2009 - one busy year!

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Welcome to my 2009 update, just a bit late - but it has been a busy busy year!

2009 was interesting year, full of hard work, a few surprises and more hard work. For a large part of the year I worked multiple jobs while attending graduate school for Marine Biology. Luckily amongst the chaos, I got married and had my wonderful husband Oscar to support me and keep me from completely losing my mind. Even though most of the year was spent behind a desk or with my face in a book, I still was able to continue teaching diving and even squeezed in a research trip to the Bat Islands back in Costa Rica! We camped on an island and dove all day... does it get any better than that!

I was fortunate to get a job with the International Game Fish Association and work at a non-profit involving fish! Oscar runs a local dive shop and we have a great group that we often dive with. I am still working hard on my goal of continuing my work in Costa Rica and even though it is a long and slow process, I know that in the future I will be doing my own research there. I guess it just doesn't happen overnight and that was probably the hardest to adjust too. I really miss being in the field but I know that in the future being in the field with a PhD and loads of knowledge is more important.

So, there is my 2009 in a nutshell... enjoy the pics (there's a lot of them this time).

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Photos

Fishing Hall of Fame
International Game Fish Association - where I work.

IGFA
Inside the museum where I work.

Valerie et moi - South Beach
mon ami français

NSU Guy Harvey Shark Wall
pretty cool

TriMiami May 3 09
Moments before the start of the Olympic Triathlon (A race that involved a 1 mile swim followed by a 25 mile bike and ending with a 6 mile run - and I completed it non stop)

TriMiami May 3 09
Start of the triathlon. I personally raised about $2,000 for local patients and research efforts for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Soicety (blood cancers). My team as a whole raised $125,783!

TriMiami May 3 09
in transition from the swim to the bike... only 24 miles ahead of me (oh yeah, and that 6 mile run at the end)

Coastal Marine Diving Supplies
(the manager of this shop is very good looking)

Comments

[light blue]

Gracias por compartirme las fotos y las experiencias!!!! espero que este 2010 traiga muchas oportunidades nuevas llenas de éxitos. Saludos y abrazos desde la linda Costa Rica

[Livie]

Accomplishments!
Looks like you didn't let one day go to waste! Busy, busy! Enjoyed your pictures of your travels during 2009, and hubby!