Life Update: Returning to University in Edinburgh!

With summer drawing to a close and the weather heading back to that lovely Scottish downpour I’m excited to be embarking on a new adventure. No exotic world tours or long backpacking trips this time though. I’m returning to university!

In my other life, away from the tinberry travels I’m one of those tree hugger environmental types. Sometimes my day job encompasses travel such as my time working at Conservation Volunteers Australia, Cairns Tropical Zoo and Durrell Wildlife Park on Jersey  but mostly it keeps me here in Scotland and often Glasgow working on environmental and sustainability projects – sometimes getting paid and sometimes not!

I love learning new things and always take opportunities to do so in all aspects of life but for me, studying the environment and wildlife conservation is just as deep a passion as my lust for travel. I aim to help protect our planet, find ways to mitigate the damaged we’ve caused and to help teach others to care about nature. I hope in some way sharing images and stories of the some of the beautiful natural places I have been inspires others to enjoy them but also to protect them.

So the next step for me is heading back to university to continue postgraduate study in conservation. It’ll be hard work and there’ll be plenty of challenges, not least in organising and paying for our wedding while I’m a student again!

From September, I’m going to be traveling through to the beautiful city of Edinburgh several times a week  to study theory and more importantly practical skills in environmental science, wildlife conservation and even some ecotourism which allows so exciting cross over here with the tinberry travels. So keep an eye out for some new post on my new local hotspots here in Edinburgh and my course even has the opportunity to do field research in Tobago so there may be some tropical beaches interspersing the rainy Scottish fieldwork days. All though you have to admit those look pretty good too.

Do you manage to incorporate other passions into your travels? Got some advice for those returning to university? Share your stories below.