Mississippi!

I'm working on my plan for the next part of my road trip and I am so, so excited because this part of the trip--which was completely unplanned until a few days ago--has so many really cool features.

I'm going to Mobile, AL from where I am now, then to Biloxi, MS, but mostly because these places are on the way to where I really want to go. After that, I'll be heading up to Jackson, MS (there's a zoo there) and then I'll be taking the Natchez Trace Parkway up to Tupelo, MS. It's an 8,000 year old path and commercial vehicles aren't allowed to drive on it. It's part of the national park system, so I'm pretty sure it will be awesome. (nps.gov/natr in case you're interested) There's a swamp on the way and I'm totally going to stop and walk through it.

Then, from Tupelo I will go to Oxford, MS. Where William Faulkner lived the last 30 years of his life!!!! Beyond excited! It's also where Ole Miss is, and their center for the study of southern culture, which I might check out since even though I'm not sure I'll ever do it, I'd like to find out more about their Master's program in Southern Studies. There's also a supposedly awesome independent bookstore that focuses on Southern writers. I. AM. SO. EXCITED.

From Oxford--if I can pull myself away--I will go to Memphis, TN to eat my weight in barbecue. THEN! (this just keeps being amazing!) I will followed the Mississippi River back down to New Orleans. I thought I was going to have to use my map and do this the old school way but it turns out that there is actually a guide that directs you along the roads to take you down the Mississippi. Mississippi River Experience! On my way down, I'll stop in Vicksburg, Natchez, and Baton Rouge, and probably Vacherie to go to Oak Alley Plantation since that place is so freaking picture perfect.

I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait.

I got an email about an internship at the Audubon Zoo, the curator telling me when he would be free to talk on the phone. I responded with when would work for me, asking him to tell me what would work best for him. No response for two days! SIR! EMAIL ME BACK! I've been checking my email compulsively. I want this internship so bad! It's with tigers, lions, and elephants! What a really cool experience! And in New Orleans. And it's August-November, so I would be done before Christmas and could come home. If I don't get it, though, I still think I'm going to try to move to New Orleans and start volunteering at the zoo since I need experience and that will at least be a start.

I keep thinking about the AZA conference in September and haven't made a decision about whether or not I'm going to go. I really want to and I think the networking potential would just be enormous, but it's expensive and in Atlanta which could be expensive to get to. I don't know.

Anyway! I'm excited. So very excited right now.

EDIT:
I hit post and then went to check my email and I got a response! Interview tomorrow at 4! Hooray!

At It Again

The job interview went well, but the job only pay $7.25 an hour, which isn't really enough to live off of once I start having to pay my loans back in 6 months. It's also likely to leave me in a pretty crappy apartment which isn't really my ideal situation since I've done the crappy apartment thing enough already. But I do need a job, so the woman said to give her a call back in a week and that if I find another job that pays better, to take it, and if I want to add on some part time hours at their clinic, I can. But if I decide to work there, she's very interested in having me.

There's a job at shelter, too, and I'm going to call them today. I doubt they'll pay more than this job but of the two, I'd rather work at a shelter than a clinic. So I could do full time at the shelter and part time at the clinic.

Thinking about working 60 hours a week is a little scary, but it would be enough to put me in a comfortable budget so I wouldn't have to be freaking out all the time. But if I'm going to making minimum wage and working 60 hours a week, I want it to be doing the thing I really want to do, not these kennel cleaning jobs that aren't really going to get me anywhere. And that's part of why this is so frustrating.

I also just applied for a dog trainer job in Florida. And there's a job at the Memphis Zoo I'm going to apply to and there are some internships, too. Internships are unpaid and that sucks, but I could get a part time job and sublet an apartment and probably not be in a terrible position. Well, maybe terrible, but not life-threatening.

I need to update my zoo resume with my AZA membership!

I passed some seedy little zoos on my way down and I wish they were easier to find. Good zoos are all united and post their jobs on the AZA website, but the seedy zoos don't have an organization. But I just found a website that has links to a lot of zoos in every state, so maybe I'll find someone.

Anyway, I'm stressed out and kind of discouraged, which happens. I need a place to stay that's cheaper than a motel but I don't know if I want to stay in Knoxville yet. There's no reason to stay and there's no reason to leave. I don't like this. I don't like not having a place to go or a place to stay. I'm kind of jealous of everyone who's at home relaxing and taking time to figure things out this summer.

But after a good talk with a good friend, I somehow feel better. Just knowing there are other people going through crazy things. I'm applying to more jobs and more jobs and more jobs. Trying to find small zoos that don't really want much. A job opening in Baton Rouge that has been open for awhile seems like a good one.

Important note: this blog post has occurred over the course of the entire day.

I ended up in the B&N for most of the day, then went to the library to print some stuff out.

My to-do for tonight is to figure out some things.

I think I'm going to go down to Tampa to say with my aunt for awhile. I thought I knew what I wanted to do but I've realized I have no idea so while I'm trying to figure it out I'm going to go somewhere where I don't have to pay rent. On the way down, I think I will stop in Chattanooga (maybe) and Atlanta (definitely). A little bit more of a road trip. I'm going to get my oil changed tomorrow, hopefully. And when I'm down in Tampa I'm going to get my car's cough checked out. Apply for more jobs and see what ends up working out. I just don't like figuring it out wasting money like this. And spending a good chunk of every day trying to figure out where to sleep that night.

Tomorrow I'm also going to look at downtown Knoxville because I haven't been yet. I've stayed around it but haven't gone in.

So that's the plan. Vague as it may be.