One of the trials of being a naturalist is the dearth of full-time, year-round positions. Currently, I'm teaching summer camp at the same place where I interned for the school year. This lets me stay close to Matt, and I'm having a lot of fun playing with kids. We do all the camp planning, so it's also good experience.
I've finally gotten a position for the fall, and I'm quite excited. I'll be heading to Maine to teach ecology at a residential center (email me if you'd like more details -- I'm just trying to avoid google). It will be much busier than here, since the kids spend the night, but it will be a fun and different experience. This will mean a few months away from Matt, but we're planning a fun Thanksgiving roadtrip for my return to Minnesota.
For these jobs, I definitely took a pay-cut from what I was making as a grad student. Michigan paid us quite well, so I was never hurting for money. Of course, at the time, it always seemed like I didn't have enough. But "not having enough" meant that I was saving up less than $500 a month.
This does highlight the importance of strong money-management for me. I'm glad I built up a substantial savings cushion while in grad school; this allows me the financial freedom to pursue enjoyable jobs without worrying how I'll pay all the bills each month. Currently, I'm making $700 a month (after taxes) with free housing. Some months, this is more than enough money for me; other months, that savings cushion gives me the float I need to make it through. Months where I pay car and health insurance are particularly tight -- car insurance is $430 for 6 months, and my meagre health insurance is $130 a month.
I really enjoy the naturalist thing. We'll see if I'm able to make a career out of this for the long haul. If so, awesome. If not, I've learned a lot of fun games and alternative teaching methods, and I'll eventually figure out a job that works out well for me. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the ride and glad to have this luxury of exploration.