Crocodiles or sailing boats, do I have to choose? Naw…

Current location: Laboratory at Stockholm University, 59°22’2” N 18°4’18” E

I was kind of hoping that I would get stopped by the Police and had my bag searched, because after all, how often does one walk around in the subway system with a backpack full of crocodiles? Well, to be fair, I only had concentrated DNA from two crocodiles, and the police officers would probably not even recognize what a scientific test tube looks like. Nevertheless, I was pretty excited to be taking the metro to get my DNA samples sequenced in Germany. That is as close I have gotten to a result since I started almost a year ago. The contrast between what I do on an average day today, and what I did only a couple of weeks ago, is surreal. I am equally good at both, the sailor’s life and the scientist’s, but I miss the ocean. A part of the key to my success, and also something that I am not always so proud of, is that I can’t choose and that I prioritize play before work. I want to do it all. On my way home from the airport, having spent less than 45 min in Sweden, I found out through a casual conversation with my Mother that a family friend is doing a transport of his newly designed and built Adventure 55 sailing boat from La Rochelle, France, to Bremerhaven, Germany. I need logged sea time in tidal waters, night watches, and more experience for my future plans as a professional pirate (sailor…wannabe pirate). Being typical Linda, of course I make sure to contact him to see if I could join in on the journey, and very well, I am most welcome. I have every intention to go, but I have yet to talk to my supervisor for my crocodile project about being absent for about 10 days. The part of be, the one with the work ethics, feels like I shouldn’t go and that I should finish what I started: Analysis of crocodiles, another, larger part, of me feels that the project is already late, the job will get done if I continue working 11 hour workdays and that no situations and opportunities are ideal. An opportunity is an opportunity and perhaps sometimes one has to crawl through a window having said that it was an open door for new experience. France and Germany, I’ll be seeing you soon!