A New Chapter

The sound of champagne bottles popping their corks has been somewhat foreign in my life ...but not this week.  As of December 15th, this blogger completed her 5th degree - a three-year BSc.ABC.  That translates to:

Certified Professional Animal Behavior Consultant !!!

The thesis was accepted, and received the evaluation comment of being a "dedicated and outstanding project."   It was only the sound of popping corks that brought me out of my stunned (and unusual) state of silence.  

 

Five women came together 3 years ago ...each with different histories and backgrounds, each with different dreams and goals. Mette will begin her work with horses on her new farm.  Tina, will continue enhancing the relationships between dogs and their owners, and wants to become involved with training rats for the African bomb deactivation program. Ayoe, will focus on improving the lives of felines -in shelters, in homes, or anywhere else that cats who need her help can be found. Liv will head for an unknown tropical  location, in search of marine mammal work -and as for myself, my sights are set on wildlife training and conservation efforts -wherever that may take me.

Five glasses were raised last night as we came together for the last time, and while we have now set off on our separate ways, I have no doubt that we will continue to be the voices of encouragement, support, ideas, and possibilities for each other for a very, very long time to come.

So, for my amazing colleagues, take one last piece of cake for the road:

We'll need it for the job search!

My thanks to Liv, Ayoe, Tina, Mette, Bettina, Gita, Maiken, 

Marnie, Samantha, Dustin, and my mother (the humans)...

 Winkin', Blinkin', Nod, and Tail-Up-Straight (the thesis animals)...

&

 Wilma, Gunnar, Benjamin, Destiny, Bessie, Totte, Penny, Bryan, 

and numerous other animals that have taught me more than any book ever could ...

A special "thanks" to Brandy, Patches, Sniffles, Nacho, Mud, Minnie, Laddie and Taffy -they are the reasons "why."

Lessons Learned:

Following one's dreams can be as easy as breathing, 

or the hardest thing you ever might try to do.

But, what a moment- 

when an artist's image 

suddenly comes to life.