I started a writeup this month that isn't a log, for once. After typing up half of the rough draft, I double-checked some terms I wasn't completely sure about, realized I didn't know what the fuck I was talking about, and fell down a rabbit hole researching phylogeny. I'm now halfway through a free university course on Early Vertebrates.
The last video I watched covered the armored jawless fishes of the Paleozoic. The next video on the list is about the first jawed fishes. This is the most helpful source of information I've found on the subject so far. I'm also finding it more fascinating than I thought I would — it ties in with my hobby of hiking out to find rare plants or interesting landforms like limestone caves. I'm starting to understand how different ecosystems formed and why certain plants and animals evolved the way they did. I've already marked out a trail to hike next summer that leads to a glacial erratic and a meromictic lake. I'm also hoping to find and photograph a couple of wild orchid species in the spring.
Most of the hikes I went on this year were for volunteer purposes. The local conservation group has invasive species removal events, which I went out to several times. It was good for me to be around like-minded people. I picked up tidbits of information about living off-grid, driving electric cars, and identifying animal scat. I also learned more about how environmental organizations work in my province. I plan to go out again next year, schedule permitting.
My other plan for next year is to finally run a damn marathon. I was forced to put my training on hold this year when my living situation got a bit crazy. Speaking of which, that's much better now. I'm in an apartment that's actually legal. The superintendent does things properly. My neighbours seem normal except for one questionable woman, so I don't interact with her. The rent is higher than the last place, but I have my own energy meter now. No more sharing it with someone who leaves her windows and doors open all winter and blasts an air conditioner all summer. No more living across the street from two sketchy people, one of whom got arrested twice during my time there. My water is clear, not orange with rust. There's no upstairs neighbour who encourages her dog to howl. And piles her garbage up on purpose across from my door in an effort to make me throw it out for her. And throws fruit at my door and gives my security camera the finger. Nope, no more of that bullshit. I drink coffee each morning in peace and enjoy the view from my balcony. I can walk to the beach in five minutes, and did so regularly in August and September. Somebody else shovels the snow. It's quiet enough here that I can read without interruption.
The last thing I need to do is find a job I like, or at least don't mind. I might not ever accomplish that, honestly, so I'll aim for something that I don't hate. I'll continue to develop my skills in my free time and follow my passion, and maybe if I'm lucky an opportunity will come up. This is what I should have done in my 20s. I feel like I am trying to catch up on lost time, and that I am far too old to be acting this way. But 20-Year-Old Me would have told Today Me that it's never too late. So I won't give up.