HOW I HAPPENED TO BE AN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGIST
To be honest, I'm still surprised that I am a biologist. I think I might have very well ended up being a journalist, doctor or teacher. Just like 95% of biologists, I chose my profession because it doesn't involve maths. Just kiddin'. Sort of.
The decision to study biology was rather unexpected, considering that my parents are engineers and I've never been much of an animal/pet lover. When I was about 15 years old, I watched a lot of documentaries, like those with Steve Irwin and Jeff Corwin. I was fascinated by the diversity of species on Earth and I wanted to visit all of those marvellous places. At that time, I also watched the PBS' series Evolution, which was probably my first close encounter with the evolutionary theory. It absolutely blew my mind. I wanted to understand how evolution works, how it creates biodiversity, and why species evolved as they did. What always fascinated me the most was evolutionary history. Probably because I love good stories. And because The Lost World by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is one of my top three favourite books. As a teenager, I used to get stuff like compass for birthday presents, because going to the jungle was my big dream at the time. I don't know how it happened that instead of Amazonian rainforest I ended up going on expeditions in the Arctic, but I'm surely not complaining. After all, I can use the compass there too.
…for it is only when a man goes out into the world with the thought that there are heroisms all around him, and with the desire all alive in his heart to follow any which may come within sight of him, that he breaks away as I did from the life he knows, and ventures forth into the wonderful mystic twilight land where lie the great adventures and the great rewards.
WHAT DO I DO BESIDES BEING A SCIENTIST?
- Reading
- Drinking coffee & Baking
- Les Mills & BodyCombat
- Travelling and photography
Did I mention that I like good stories? I never leave the house without having a book with me because getting stuck somewhere without the possibility to spend the time reading is my idea of a nightmare. I love the smell of books and I also love my Kindle. My life is better having a neverending supply of unread books in my Kindle at all times and also not having to worry about how many books to bring on a trip. I read basically anything from science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers, to historical and romantic novels. And I think audiobooks are a brilliant invention for non-fiction.
I once read that people who have jobs focusing on long-term projects often prefer hobbies that yield immediate results. And I think that this is what my passion for baking is mainly about. Either that or my addiction to sugar, hm.
There is just so much satisfaction in doing a manual job which results in a beautifully-smelling, deliciously-looking, and tasteful product. The best part is that you also get to eat it. Or share it with your co-workers and make them like you.
Besides eating too much sugar, I also drink too much coffee. With milk, no sugar, if you want to invite me for a cup.
Group training is my way of releasing energy from all the sweet stuff I eat. I even used to work as a Les Mills instructor. Once a week, I had my class of BodyCombat, a martial-arts inspired cardio workout. Although I loved the thrill of inspiring people and the satisfaction when they kept coming back, now I'm more enjoying the stressfree sensation of being a participant. And I have more time for running, dance classes and all the other activities I enjoy.
Travelling is definitely one of the best things about being a scientist. It takes me everywhere, from the rush of big cities to the most remote wilderness. And I'm the kind of person who is just as happy lying on the beach, hiking in the mountains, or drinking coffee on the main square.
I like taking picture. I'm not particularly good at it because I just can't find the devotion to remember how to work around ISO and apperture settings and who knows what. I used to have a travel blog called The Journey Journal, but when I switched focus to science writing, I didn't have time to keep it updated any more. At some point the domain expired and it just went to oblivion.