Immersed in Iceland

Now that we have been in Reykjavík for a week, we have had many encounters with the local people.  The culture of Iceland is unique and exciting, and the people are very welcoming and love to interact with tourists.  Nearly everyone speaks perfect English (often better than our own) and is excited to be able to practice with us. We are trying to learn Icelandic phrases and folks around town have been very patient with us, and often willing to go over the same words many times until we can say them correctly.  People’s names are especially interesting because many of them have ties to Norse mythology and majestic animals.  I have already met people named after the bear, wolf, and eagle.  The language is beautiful, but it is spoken very quickly and fluidly, which makes it difficult to pick up on.  It will take some hard work and tenacity in order to communicate effectively.

Outdoor "night" life
in Reykjavik 

When walking through town, everything is compact and efficient. The houses often have a cottage-like feel and have beautifully landscaped yards. They are very close together with a small patch of grass in the front or back used for gardening, grilling, and other outdoor activities. The people of Iceland love the sun and seem to spend every possible moment outside to soak it up before winter sets in and the days shorten.  People are always out and about, walking and biking late into the evening during the summer when the sun refuses to set.  While it is light all day and night there are few restrictions on outdoor activities and everyone seems to be taking advantage of this to the fullest. Our apartments at the University of Iceland are very close to the heart of Reykjavík, making it easy to become immersed in city life. There are many coffee shops with some of the best espresso I have ever had in my life. Even the 24 hour convenience store has coffee that surpasses what I am used to drinking (See Bayley’s blog Culture, Coffee and the 1011). At the cafés, all of the cakes that are offered have a heavenly homemade aroma and are good to the last bite. One day, there was even pecan pie offered that was made by an employee’s grandmother! It feels as though every time you enter a shop you are being invited into somebody’s house and treated like a guest of honor.

A decorative roundabout

Driving in the city was a bit of an adventure when we first got here. The roads are much narrower then we are used to, and sometimes it seems that the slightest swerve could easily bring you into a neighboring lane, or even off the road. There are also many roundabouts which took some time to get used to.  All of the roundabouts have two lanes, and we did not know for the first few days that the inner lane has the right-of-way. Frequently cars would dart in front of us, startling us every time. I am very glad we have Dr. Welter to bring us around town, as she is a little more experienced at driving than Bayley and I are. As they say, you have to be tough to live in Iceland and navigating through the city by car is no exception.

Icelandic people spare no opportunity to learn about your culture and invite you into their own, making strong ties and a comfortable environment to explore. I have never felt more welcome in a foreign place. There are very many people from all over the world, making Iceland a great central melting pot for a variety of cultures. We are able to learn a lot about the world and our place in it, opening many doors for a variety of interactions that I never thought would be possible. Before we arrived, my impression of this land was so different from what we are discovering. It seemed like Iceland would be remote and entrenched in its own way of life because all we knew was the natural, outdoorsy side of the culture and how distinct is was from the rest of the world. Icelanders hang on to their unique culture, while still finding a way to assimilate all different people into their amazing way of life.