duskmourn

So it's been awhile since I put anything up, but here's an update:

I'm a fish biologist in Auburn, AL. I've been working lately on a lake in Northern Alabama called Lake Guntersville doing an economic survey of boat anglers asking what they caught and how much they spent, and where they're coming from. Starting grad School in May working on habitat study with Shoal Bass a riverine fish mostly in Georgia.

Now down to my eternal problem and that is being a hopeless romantic. There is this wonderful girl that just recently came back from doing peace corp in the Gambia, Africa. I've been her friend now for atleast a few years. I'm a shy guy and of course I could never get myself to confront her about how much I admire her as a person. She is a beautiful dirty blonde, and I love her intelligence and beauty. She works in the same field as a field/lab supervisor doing fish surveys in an East Alabama River. I am and have always been there when she needed help be it moving, volunteering to help in the field as an expert with the work she does. (used to work in the same lab she now has begun to run) and been there as emotional support for her very non-supportive parents. (her mom insults her and is sick, and her dad has been very difficult in her transition back to living in America post-PeaceCorps[the don't get paid much to do it]). Earlier this summer I had the limited courage to write her a letter expressing my interest in her beyond friendship, yet she later responded that we were not on the same page. I have still yet to find the courage to express that interest in person. I was also careful not to go too far with the letter and in the process scare her into avoiding me.

Since writing the letter we still remain good friends and occassionally hang out, I've even spent time helping her move to a new place (she was pretty much a gypsy living with friends up until now)

So here's my question am I living an unrealistic hope of maybe something coming of this friendship, other than being friends, or is there still some hope of it going further. What should I, the shy guy, do to spur some growth in that direction if there is still hope, and how should I work on improving my inability to confront people.

Here's a parting photo of me doing the same work at Lake Guntersville with another part of the work flying in a plane and counting Angler boats on the lake