The Beginning of Iceland

My first two days in Iceland have been amazing! We have done a ton of sightseeing, including a glacier hike and visiting a beautiful waterfall. Iceland is a beautiful country. The landscape is incredibly varied and changes quickly. If you doze off to sleep on the bus you could wake up and feel like you’re in another place. It truly is amazing being in a place where a frozen glacier, a moss covered mountain and black sanded beach are all within walking distance. It doesn’t seem real. There are a lot of tourists, that seem to be supporting the little towns scattered around the country. The locals seem friendly and our tour guide is awesome. Her facts on the bus and just by talking with her I’ve learned a lot about the country.

We haven’t really had an orientation into the trip, we have really just been thrown into the country and culture. However, at the airport before the flight, Professor Hechtman made sure to remind us to focus on the present while we are here. The first nine days we are traveling around Iceland and then posting up in a little town called Thingeyri for the remaining few weeks.

So, the first two days of travel have been busy, but exciting. We are constantly moving and I think that’s the best way to see the country. We aren’t going into a new town with expectations or preconceived ideas, but rather we have had the ability to experience the country right away. We get to take our cameras and shoot photos. However, Professor Hechtman does a great job at reminding us that we need to have memories without photos too. It is important for us to take in the moment and our surroundings before we start taking tons of photos. While our formal orientation will come later on in the trip, I feel like physically seeing and being in the country is the best type of orientation I could ask for.