The Beginning: A Week in Iceland.
As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I knew immediately that this country was going to be shockingly different than any place I had experienced before. At our dialogue meeting, our group was told to prepare for light winter weather. Turns out, Iceland is a bit behind seasonally this year and it is much colder than usual for June. The typical weather that I have experienced, you ask? It is windy, between 30-40 degrees, and a chance of snow or rain each day. Summer in Iceland is also drastically different than it is in the United States because the sun does not fully set during this time of year. It is light out constantly, and it sometimes feels as though the day never actually ends. This makes going to bed at an appropriate time incredibly difficult. There is just so much to see!
Our first six days in Iceland were spent traveling around the country on our way to our final destination in Skagaströnd. When we arrived at the airport, we met our tour guide and stepped on our bus (which would become our second home) to start off to the first destination of many. Within the first day I had seen grassy hills, translucent glaciers, lava fields, and mossy craters. There are impressive waterfalls everywhere, and the sand here is usually black. Everywhere you turn there are mountains and volcanoes in sight. To say I have experienced sensory overload is an understatement. I am still processing the beauty of this country. Iceland is so many different places all bundled into one.
With each day involving lots of traveling and new places to explore, our instructor told us to take as much footage of the landscape as possible and try to soak in the experience. For the first six days I lived through the lens of my camera and would spend time some time just sitting and absorbing the view at each new location. Iceland is as breath taking as I imagined, and now that the days of traveling are over I can really reflect on just how much I had the chance to see in such a short time. We arrived in Skagaströnd on Friday, and now is when class begins and the projects start.
Orienting to the program has been interesting, especially as a non-art major. What I have found the most interesting has been getting to know my instructor and the TAs. With such a small group, they are at my full disposal and have offered so much guidance and instruction on how to go about tackling my work. We also spent the first day of class listening to albums as a group and watching different films. We have been discussing the artist’s strategy and our own opinions on each piece, and this process is one of my favorite parts of the time orienting to the classes. Each student is also required to write in a journal each day in order document to the experience and to help remember each moment of this trip.
Now that I am finally able to unpack and make Skagaströnd my home for the next three weeks, I’m excited to see what else is in store for me in Iceland!
