I Have Found My Bliss!

Last night I went on research. Ive always felt that research isn't for me. That is until I got here. I have been searching for the right career path for about a year now. Nothing really felt right. I read Anderson Cooper's book and he says his mom always told him to "find his bliss ". I really do feel that.I have found my bliss. We drove around tracking the gps collars of Max and Morris first. They are two male cheetahs raised at harnas. They can track all his movements and activities. They are researching to see if cheetahs are more clear area hunters or more Bush felt. This could help show that cheetahs are more adaptable than previously thought. I got the chance to talk to the woman doing the research and asked how she got into it. She told me she graduated with a degree in animal science and came here as a volunteer. Then she came back to do a 3 month research project and after that she came back to stay. She intends to get a masters in a few years and aa PhD. I nearly fell over! I didn't think id be in a position to get there. I am more motivated than ever! We then fed the wild dogs. They are adorable ans crazy. They are the most endangered species in Africa and I feel priveldged to get to be so close. Then we went to track pride and her babies. This is a true miracle for harnas. Pride was hand raised and still very tame. They released her into the lifelike 2.years ago. She has been hunting and being a wild cheetah. 10 weeks ago she surprised everyone by having 2 cubs. She got.pregnant by a wild cheetah which is huge! It means that harnas has produced a new generation of wild cheetahs. We walked through the bush and finally found them. Pride came out and drank water from a water bottle then she walked up to me and licked my face a couple times. It was rough but so special. Then she walked away to be with the cubs. They were adorable and playful. I got a few cute pictures but the memory will be better than any picture I got. The cubs hiss.aand growl because they get no human interaction so they will be truly wild. We stated as long as we could but it was getting dark and we had to get atheno. We drove out to where a trap was set. There is a young cheetah who was found eating with pride and her cubs. Everyone was excited because being solitary animals it.is unheard of for one cheetah to allow an unrelated male cheetah to share her kill. Especially when she has cubs but pride was letting him. However he was dangerously thin. He acts scared of meat from humans and they wanted to capture him so he wouldn't die. He wouldn't go into a cage so they were using atheno as a guide of what to do. We went to bring atheno back and got him out of his cage. The cage wouldn't fit in the land rover so it was the 4 volunteers and atheno in the back. He was.walking around looking out the window. When we stopped to open a gate he wanted a better view. So he jumped up in the front seat. He acted like it was where he was meant to be. It was so much fun. Tomorrow I want to see what else they do during the day. I have a feeling research is the field for me. Today I went to church again. I wanted to once more before I left. The pastor is so passionate and the children are adorable. The people here are so beautiful. It hit me that I am leaving in 4 days. I cant think about it without getting emotional. Its only been 3 weeks but so many of my questions have been answered and I don't think ive ever felt so comfortable so quick. Its so far from home and I don't want to be so far from my family but the more I think I might apply for research positions over here. I don't think ill be satisfied working with animals.behind bars. Its.overwhelming to think of where my life might lead from here but as my new motto says "if your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough"