My useful distraction

- in Column, Krönikor

Sharing the last part of my trip in Central America with my best friend is both a blessing and a curse when it comes to my education. Although travelling together with my friend is signifying the end of my studies on the road I have to remind myself that it’s not the end just yet. I still have an intensive time ahead of me before the holidays. And if I can’t remind myself about that fact, at least I have someone by my side who can do it for me.  

Being in Mexico, living off guacamole, bathing in stalactite caves and suntanning on endless stretches of white sand makes it hard to believe that the first of advent is just a week away. And in two weeks from then, this school semester will be over and my days of travelling and studying will have come to a close. I’m on the last leg of my journey, busing through Central America to reach Costa Rica before the holidays. It’s going to be an intensive trip filled with many sleepless nights of travel, endless layers of bug spray and a whole heap of awkward interactions with locals seeing as my Spanish vocabulary is close to none.

A major treat for this part of the trip is that I’m travelling through Central America with one of my best friends. Although I love travelling solo, having someone to share memories with when you get home is always special. Additionally, it’s surprisingly reassuring to travel to the unknown with someone that you trust. I figure we can be lost together. I’m not going to lie though, it’s been slightly distracting travelling with your best friend when it comes to studying, especially when she doesn’t need to hand in assignments and attend online seminars like you do. I highly recommend travelling and doing online courses but doing it with someone who doesn’t study is going to be tough unless you have out of this world discipline. It’s not all bad for my education though. Being a somewhat distracted individual at times, having someone who can act as my personal secretary has its benefits. There’s been several occasions on this trip so far where my friend has reminded me of deadlines I have to meet and made sure I log in on time to my weekly seminars. I guess it’s a type of compensation for luring me away from my school books.

I’m still in disbelief over the fact that I have less than one month left of school before my time lugging around my laptop and course literature halfway across the world will be over. I even booked my flights back home yesterday, a major indication of the inevitable end of my trip. However, I must remind myself that it’s not over just yet. Leaving my studies behind just because my travel companion isn’t tied to school is not an option. I still have four seminars and five assignments to complete before Christmas. I might be unable to motivate myself to power through to the end but at least I know that I have a friend who’s isn’t going to let me give up on my studies just yet.