Today we asked the students to reflect on all the Icelanders we’ve had the opportunity to meet during this trip. We’ve certainly had some meaningful interactions and met people we’ll remember for a long time. Each one of us has enjoyed multiple stand-out experiences, and it’s hard to pick the most memorable. In this blog, we’d like to share just a few of them.
— Jesse & Ansley
Yesterday we met a guide who went hiking with us. Her name is Lisbeth. It was really interesting to get to know her and learn about Iceland from a person who has grown up here in Isafjordur, which is in one of the most remote parts of the country. She made me enjoy the hike even more when she told us about the history of this place and her family. — Maria
Today we got to meet some of the locals in Isafjordur. We met a girl our age name Sara. It was really interesting to meet a young person living here, getting to learn more about her life and how it compares to life in the U.S. — Mary
Meeting the storyteller was very interesting to me. “Daybright” is how her name translates into English. She had such enthusiasm about the stories she was telling, making me all the more excited to hear them. Also, the way she viewed what she was doing was extremely inspiring. How she said passing along stories was how people entertained themselves in the past and such, it just felt like I was included in this tradition by listening. I will remember both her and her family’s story, along with her love for Iceland and unwavering belief in the so-called Hidden People. — Audrey
When we went to a local aquatic center in Bolungarvik, I talked to a man in the locker room. He is a keen traveler who has lived in the UK, Denmark, and South Africa. He told us it is an important Icelandic custom to shower before entering the pool. But the men do so without their suits on, and we all find it challenging to do that. In my opinion, if foreigners cannot follow the local rules, then maybe we should avoid the activities or not enter the place in order to respect them. — Charles Z
The person who stood out the most to me was the owner of a fish farm near Patreksfjordur. He spoke about being “better than just bigger” in relation to his company and in other real-life situations. Although his fish farm was smaller than many others in Iceland, he could rest assured that his quality was far superior while remaining humble. He spoke about not using antibiotics and other harmful chemicals that some farmers use, and about raising the fish humanely. He also seemed to prefer his small farm that only raises Arctic char because disease is less likely and the overall quality of the fish is above par. The way he is running his company is extremely interesting because of his more ethical mindset. — Addy
