Wait, so where are you going?

Current Location: 59°18’50’’N 18°4’2” E

Medborgarplatsen, Stockholm, Sweden

“So where is it that you are going again, I didn’t really get it the first time” one of my good friends blurts out. You know what, I can’t really blame you. I barely know where I am going or what my plan is for the next upcoming months. The idea is for me to go to Costa Rica and do a master’s project for 60 ECTS credits, the equivalent of a year. I am supposed to do extensive fieldwork in the river systems of Costa Rica by taking blood samples of crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) in the different areas and test the hypothesis that the usage of pesticides in the area affects the population’s genetic composition. Exactly when I’m going down there to actually start working, is unknown to everyone involved except for possibly the Costa Ricans, but I doubt even they know. Much like the Caribbean island time the “ticos” (people from Costa Rica) run on tico time, meaning that things will happen when they happen and not a minute before that. This puts me in a peculiar situation with too much time on my hands. To make my travel arrangements even more complicated to explain to others, my brother is getting married in Bali and I will be flying over there in a couple of weeks to attend the wedding. “Wait, so when are you leaving Sweden then?” is always the follow up question. The answer is: I don’t really know, as soon as possible I guess, or whenever convenient. After having worked closely for three months on boats for the summer I am suffering from withdrawal from these amazing people, so the current plan is to also make a trip past the US and say hi to old friends. Mostly because I can. “But wait, weren’t you studying?” Sure I am, I can start writing on my project plan anywhere in the world.