There and back again

I got back a few days ago from a wonderful trip to Sweden and Finland, and what a whirlwind way to end this summer! 11 days full of amazing landscapes, fun people, and an engaging workshop.

I started off the trip with a couple of days of sightseeing in Gothenburg. A very different city from Stockholm, in some ways I think I liked it more because it wasn't as super fancy and I felt that I could blend in a bit more. My advisor and I also had the chance to spend an afternoon with the graduate coordinator for our department who was in the city on sabbatical. He and his wife showed us some different parts of the city and we shared a drink along the marina in the warm afternoon sun. It's always so fun to connect with people you know outside of your normal domain and it was nice to get to know Dr. Johnson and his wife.

After a nice weekend in Gothenburg, it was time to head to Fiskebackskil for the PhD course. The course was held at a marine research station about 2 hours north of Gothenburg. It was one of the most amazing places I've ever seen! Right next to the sea with rocky cliffs, gorgeous flowers, and clear blue skies. Coupled with perfect weather every day, we spent most of our free time outside on nature walks. Absolutely fantastic!

 The view from the research center balcony

But of course the week wasn't just a holiday in Western Sweden. We spent a good portion of our day in lectures from some amazing professors in genomics. I learned a lot about the type of data analysis that I'm in the middle of working on right now, got to learn some new techniques and computer programs, and had a chance to talk one-on-one with experts in this field. There were also 20 great students who I got to know during the week as we talked about science, enjoyed the Swedish sunshine, and had some evening beverages to complete our days :)

Our super fun group!

After such a great week in Fisckebackskil, it was time to go to Helsinki for the next step of my Scandinavian adventure. My friend Sohan has been living there for almost a year now and I thought this trip would be the perfect opportunity to see how his life in another country has been and to catch up after not seeing him for so long. I also got to meet some of his friends as we chatted over lunches, coffee, and beers at some of their local favorite places. We also took a group day trip to the small city of Porvoo, went kayaking and to a Finnish sauna, and I did some sightseeing in the city on my own. Such a fun and relaxing way to end my trip. And a special thanks to Sohan for being a great host!

Sohan and I in Porvoo

I am so blessed to have had such an incredible adventure this summer. And even after such a great trip I find myself still craving more and more adventures, as if the more I travel and see the world the more I want to keep on seeing. Time will only tell where the next few years will take me :)