Hi all,

I will not write a long post for a change :)

All I want to say is, I have 9 days left in Miami, so if you want to come visit me you have to be quick ;)

I am not sad to leave, obviously, since mainly I leave because I really don't like this place. Leaving here also makes my life exciting again since from here I am free to do whatever I want again (which is another reason why I wanted to leave), but it doesn't make it easier necessarily since the reason why I came here in the first place is still true: about 90% of all field ornithology jobs are in the US and having a US visa I am actually really privileged, I know. But what if I just hate this country and its ideals and life styles? The birds are lovely of course and so are the birders and bird ringers. But it's just very hard to ignore all the rest of the people and the fact that something like 95% of your tax money pays for things that you don't support (like wars, imperialism, highways, etc...)

I am currently finishing the spring banding season here in Miami, which was very exciting and extremely exhausting. Once I left the university and went into the field I also learned a lot so after all the time here was certainly not wasted. After this I need to sleep and then figure out what to do next.

The next destination is Canada (Ontario) where I will help at Long Point Bird Observatory for 10 days and then work a week in the lab of the University of London to learn how they analyze blood samples from birds. I am very excited!!!!

After that I will move my belongings back to Austria (for now).

In June I have 2 weeks of "holidays" that I will use to visit friends in Austria and the Netherlands (and Belgium) and to sleep. And after that I will be bird ringing in Hohenau (Austria) as I am used to so and as it should be. I really look forward to all of this, but most of all to the peace and quiet in Hohenau which was unfortunately not a part of my bird ringing experiences here in Miami. I am even missing the boring gray and brown birds, but most of all I am missing birds singing and birds being around after migration. Miami is pretty dead once wintering and migratory birds have left. Which is very sad! It is also getting really hot now and it starts getting humid so now is certainly the best time to leave this place.

Still, I have met some really awesome people (some even very very very awesome) and I will miss them but mostly I am very thankful for everything they taught me and for being given the chance to share some time with them.

Whereever you are and whatever you do, if you want to meet and are in the area of Austria/Germany/NL in June or July, let me know! If you are not there, I still look forward to your message :)

Enjoy your summer and your freedom!!!

Marty