I’m Khushi Himatlal!

I am Khushi Himatlal. I'm a second year BSc Geography student at Manchester Metropolitan University and I absolutely love all things glacial, GIS and quaternary science.

Whilst I may not be a Polar Explorer per se, but visiting glacial landscapes and reconstructing those past landscapes with various proxies is honestly the most rewarding work ever. I dream of visiting the polar regions one day and getting to do research there because trop the longest time I thought it was impossible due to my background.

To all the younger Polar Explorers, I encourage them to hold onto their dreams a little more, and that every time you feel your grip starting to slip on them, to pull them closer! I didn’t anticipate doing a degree in Geography until I actually started it but it’s hands down the best choice I’ve made, because I didn’t see it as a viable career but through Polar Impact I've met some of the most inspirational people EVER! As cringe as it sounds, nothing is impossible.

Well I’m from the Belgrave area in Leicester which is very much an immigrant community made up of largely Indian and Pakistani immigrants, first and second generation. Being a geographer was never on the cards for me up until it was time to pick my UCAS options because I knew I would be miserable in the medical field. I’m also non binary and a lesbian which made finding a likeminded community much more difficult due the conservative community I was in. Moving to university was revolutionary, I learnt things about myself that I would’ve never learnt had I stayed at home. I’m a massive Doctor Who fan, and I always wanted to solve mysteries like the Doctor, and quaternary science and glacial studies allowed me that freedom! I was raised Hindu, and honestly I never really developed a relationship with religion as I was busy with other issues but I’m coming to terms with it now which is a struggle and sometimes the science vs religion battle gets in my head, but it’s all a learning curve!

My parents are so beyond terrified, they never anticipated me becoming a geographer, especially one that enjoys fieldwork. They constantly remind me to pack warm clothes and enough food even though the coldest place I’ve done fieldwork up until now is Wales? But deep down I know that they’re proud of me for breaking the generational cycle, I know they know that I’m my own person and can’t be stopped.

I would absolutely love to complete a Masters and maybe a PhD doing research in the Arctic. Glacier dynamics and quaternary reconstruction are two of my most favourite research areas and to work on that forever would be wonderful. Seeing a musk ox in real life is also on my bucket list.

All the wonderful lecturers at MMU! Their passion for their research and endless support makes me never put my pen down and continue learning and learning and learning. All the fantastic polar researchers that I see on my Twitter everyday make me want to work that much harder. I would advise them to network as early as possible! Not only can you access opportunités that you wouldn’t otherwise but you also create a great community of likeminded people that have similar goals and objectives.

Twitter: @KhushiHimatlal