We talk a lot about following our dreams, but remarkably few people actually do it.  In this episode I speak to Julie Hollis who did just that.

Julie is an Australian geologist living in Greenland and working as the Head of Department of Geology for the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Government of Greenland.

I could have talked to Julie for a lot longer because she knows A LOT, but we talk about Why Greenland, the weather, schooling, language, giving birth in a different country, what happens when things go wrong on a field trip, geology (spoiler alert: rocks are actually quite interesting when you talk to somebody that knows things about them, sailing, and whatever else was possible to fit in (yes, of course I brought up reindeer). 

To give you some more information on Julie - she started out as an academic in the early 00s, she moved on to working for geological surveys, making geological maps - first in Greenland (but living in Denmark), then in the tropical north of Australia, and now back in Greenland again, where she has lived with her family for the past 6 years.

What seems like an age ago, she completed a Bachelor of Science in Geology from the University of Sydney and a PhD in Geology from the University of Edinburgh. And just recently, she decided to start working her way backwards again, completing a Masters in Science Communication and Public Engagement from the University of Edinburgh this year.

Because her life was not busy enough between full time work and part time study, she recently had a second child and potters away on writing projects while on maternity leave.

One of her science communication projects, Polar Podcasts, is currently airing weekly and explores personal stories of exploration of Greenland's remarkable geology from career Greenland geologists, from the 50s to the present. She has published popular science articles on Massive Science and publishes a weekly blog on life in Greenland as a foreigner called Arctic Alien. 

Nick Bowditch is a motivational speaker, best selling author, amateur boxer and father of four.  In this episode we cover off aliens, families, faith, putting yourself first, labels, shame, superpowers and mental health - in particular PTSD, PND and suicidal ideation. If these topics are likely to cause you distress I recommend you don't listen to this podcast and do speak to Lifeline on 13 11 14, Beyond Blue, the Black Dog Institute or a qualified mental health professional.

That said, this is a fairly sanguine and upbeat conversation between two people that are quite comfortable with exploring ideas as well as their own experiences. Add in a shared love of kindness, a healthy dose of humour and you've got plenty to think about in this episode.

If you're enjoying the Talking Frankly podcasts, please become a supporter at patreon.com/talkingfrankly.  Getting a professional podcast editor is the dream so all support helps! 

How to describe these two funny and fabulous women?  Justine Sless and Harsel are the stars of the IGTV show Sless to Harsel which is supposed to talk about writing and books but rarely does.  We talk comedy, cookbooks, hashtags, persecution, punchlines, education, health, lockdown - you name it, somehow we are taking it all seriously while laughing like loons.  These very clever women will make your day.  Follow them at www.instagram.com/slesstoharsel as well as noeharsel.com and justinesless.com #istandwithjustine #fresswithsless