Paavo

Name: Paavo Nikkola
Age: 26
Country of origin: Finland

I am a Finnish PhD student and a NordVulk researcher working at the University of Iceland. I study basaltic lava flows in Reykjanes Peninsula, with an emphasis on their eruption history and chemical composition.

What’s your typical day? I get to the office about 9.30 and I’m there until late evening. I mainly do lab work. So most of my time is spent in the lab. I guess maybe four weeks spent on field in a year.

What’s the most frustrating thing? The unpredictable weather, especially the bad winters. Last year, January was so bad, that during the whole month you could not do anything outside. There is so many storms, one storm per three days.

What do you miss most? Family, language and forests!

What food do you miss most? I don’t know. I don’t think there is any specific I miss, but I miss mom’s home cooking.

Does it get boring up here? No I would not say that it gets boring. There are a lot of activities, we have a pretty solid group, PhD students, definitely a social circle, and we keep each other company.

What do you think of Tex Mex food? Yes, I have to admit I like it. The tortillas especially! I eat them quite often back home and also when I’m here. But I have not explored much else beyond tortillas… and tacos of course.