Takk, Iceland
Looking back on this global experience, I am so happy I took the time to journal how I was feeling every few days. If you told me there was a plane back to Boston I could hop on during the first few days of the trip, I would have jumped on it in a heartbeat. I was anxious, uncomfortable, and sleeping in a tent surrounded by strangers instead of in my bed with a roof over my head. On the last day of the trip, I faced the reality of boarding a plane back to Boston, and well, I didn’t really want to get on it. Sure, it was a fun trip back because now I was traveling with friends and watching How to Train Your Dragon, but it was sad because one of the greatest experiences I’d ever had was coming to an end. The goodbyes were tear-filled (at least mine were because I’m a sap) and I was going to miss my new friends, Mal, Iceland, and even my tent. I boarded my connecting flight sad, but also happy and extremely grateful that I had this opportunity to travel abroad and bond with such amazing people.
Iceland definitely lives up to the hype. It’s been heralded as one of the most beautiful places in the world and I one hundred percent agree. What’s great about this dialogue is that we got to see more than just the touristy side of Iceland. We got to traverse into the highlands and slide down mountains; we got to find hidden pools in fissures and swim in caves; we got to eat lunch on top of glaciers and under waterfalls; we got to have experiences that we literally would not be able to have anywhere else, and I’m so thankful for all the memories I’ve made.
There’s also something about camping in Iceland that brought out an adventurer in me. Being back in the Pennsylvania suburbs for a few days has been strange and I’ve had the lingering urge to climb something. I’m not as put off by little things such as bugs or eating things off the ground (when you drop something in an ecosystem as sensitive as Iceland, you better pick it up and eat it). I feel confident that I could pitch a tent and last the night and I have to remind myself that normal people aren’t going to pull on their rain gear to go outside when it’s pouring. Iceland revealed a side of me that I hadn’t explored before, and it’s really cool to know that I can rough it in the wilderness.
This trip also improved my confidence in myself and did wonders for my anxiety. If you ever need an ego boost, I recommend hiking up an ancient chunk of ice and then picnicking on it like it’s no big deal. After overcoming literal mountains and thriving in an environment I’d never been in before, the normal stressors of my everyday life don’t seem that daunting.
Even more so, the people on the trip helped boost my confidence as well. One of my greatest fears before embarking on this trip was that I wouldn’t make any friends. Five weeks later, I flew home with 30 new relationships, and I can’t wait to see them all again at Northeastern. While I got closer to some people than others, there was not a single group of people who I could not walk up to and jump in their conversation, their card game, or their trip to the pool. It was truly a special group that just worked. I felt accepted, supported, and that I belonged there with them. They were my advisors, my confidants, and my family on this trip and even though I had to leave Iceland behind, I’m elated that I get to see them all again in Boston.
At the end of the trip, the entire group played a game called “Pits and Peaks.” Basically, you share the worst part of the trip, and then you share the best. While most people’s pits were pretty superficial and lighthearted, many of us found it difficult to narrow down this amazing month into just one peak. It’s hard to choose when so many friendships were formed and memories made. I just knew this trip was going to be unforgettable when I stopped counting the days until I got to go home, and started counting the days I had left before I had to leave Iceland.
