Soon after the pandemic started, all my scheduled house sits cancelled one by one, as the homeowners were no longer able to travel.  After a few months of waiting to see how it would all unfold, I made the decision to get an apartment of my own in Sydney.  (It had been years since I had my own place!)

I was already pursuing further education in animal care.  One of the reasons I had lined up 6 months of sits just in Sydney was because I had planned to be here from January to June 2020 to take the certificate II course in animal studies at the Taronga Training Institute, something I had wanted to do for a long time.

As it became evident that I wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, I applied for the more competitive certificate III course in captive animals.  That course is nearing the end (we finish in June 2021), and I have learned an enormous amount about so many aspects of animal care and about so many different species.  The hands-on practical experience on different divisions at Taronga Zoo has been extraordinary.  I have relished it.

I haven’t yet made a decision for next steps after the course finishes.  At the moment, I’m inclined to stay where I am in Sydney until vaccinations are fully on board.  Since I’m in the last adult group, that won’t be until close to the end of 2021 (as the timeline currently stands).

As I make further decisions, I’ll update this page.  Until then, I hope everyone reading this is safe & healthy.

UPDATE JUN 2021:  The Taronga course is wrapping up, and I have vaccinations scheduled.  I’m still sorting out next steps, but I likely wouldn’t do a sit until a few weeks after my 2nd vaccination at the earliest.