Around the start of Easter break, my sister Leah came for a visit. We toured much of Reykjavik as well as the rest of the country together. Some of the things we did in Reykjavik include going to a benefit concert with Bjork, trying whale at a fancy restaurant, and going out to the bars. I even dragged her to one of my Icelandic classes! Our excursions outside of the city included a tour around the Ring Road, which literally encompassed the entire country, and a trip to the Westmann Islands.
On the road trip, we headed north first to the "city" of Akureyri. There is not much to be said about the city itself despite its really nice landscape; it is very small. We did visit the Myvatn region during our stay there and it was quite beautiful. We came across a lot of lakes, lava rock formations, a crater, and a field of hotpots and sulfur-emitting mountains. The next (and last) overnight stop was Hofn (pronounced literally like a hiccup), which is a small port town. It was even smaller and there was less to do there, mainly due to the fact that it was near Easter and everything shuts down in Iceland for the holiday. On our way back to Reykjavik, we saw a glacial lagoon and a national park (Skaftafell).
The drive around the Ring Road was quite an adventure because it involved a lot of driving without the option of rest stops in between; a lack of guard rails on steep cliffs; dirt roads with rocks flying everywhere; narrow roads overlooking gorges and hot springs; and really "fun" one-laned bridges. I feel extremely fortunate to have witnessed such an overwhelming scenery right in front of the dashboard, but I wish I had been more aware beforehand of the risky driving it entailed.
There is not much really to be said about the trip to the Westmann Islands. The ferry ride was not something I plan on doing again because it felt like a plane landing for the entire 2 hour and 40 minute ride. The island we stayed on is called Haemay and contains a volcano that erupted in the 70s. This is also the site where many, many puffins go in the summer. It is too bad they did not come early for our visit. Can you believe people actually eat them?!




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A few weeks ago, I went on a trip to Kulusuk, Greenland with eight other students from the University of Iceland. Kulusuk is a small village on the east coast of Greenland with a population of about 300. During the stay there, we went dog sledding twice, went on a seal hunt, experienced traditional eastern Greenlandic music, went sledding down a mountain with local children, went on various hikes, went on a small boat trip, and met a great deal of friendly Greenlanders.
Dog sledding is a really unique activity because we traveled on ice and snow for rather large distances. It's amazing how well-trained the dogs were to be able to withstand pulling so much weight for extended periods of time. I did feel guilty at some points on the trips because the dogs were working so hard and were probably very cold... but then I considered the fact that this is basically the only way Greenlanders transport themselves to get food so it's not used out of cruelness. On the first sled trip we went to a glacier and on the second trip we went on the seal hunt. The hunt was very long and it turned out to be unsuccessful but it was still worth going on because I got to see more of Greenland's beautiful scenery.
There was a close call on the second day though that we were all there because we had not been warned of Kulusuk's many dangers, including icebergs. We decided that day to go on a hike to the airport and on the way, we were mesmerized by the sight of a field of icebergs. We decided to go see them upclose and we were literally frolicking towards them. It was all so beautiful and incredible... until my friend Franzi from Germany fell in. We didn't realize that the ice around the icebergs generally was thin and I guess she didn't pay enough attention to the ground she was walking on. Lee from the US and Francesco from Italy fell in trying to rescue her as well. Luckily, the guys got out but Franzi was stuck lying on a thin layer of ice until the local rescue team came to help us. We found out later that that site was the most dangerous in Kulusuk because it was where two streams met (there was a current). I still can't believe how lucky all of us were to have survived, especially because no one was pulled under the ice. It was very stupid and naive on our parts but no one had warned us about any possible danger there.. so we wouldn't have known. I never ever thought that I would have to scream "help" at the top of my lungs, either in English or Danish (hjalp I think)... but there's a first for everything I guess.
With every negative experience though comes a positive because that night we invited everyone who helped rescue us to dinner. We met some very nice people and even though most didn't speak a word of English or even Danish, it still was one of my favorite memories there... I didn't feel like a tourist there at that point because I was experiencing Greenland on a social level, instead of one more inclined to sending postcards and taking pictures.
Greenland was quite an amazing experience and although it had its horrifying points, I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.



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Last Friday I went on an excursion to the Golden Circle with my two friends Katie and Kelsey. The tour lasted about eight hours and we saw Gullfoss, Geysir, and Þingvellir. I don't think I have seen anything more beautiful than what I saw at those places. Gullfoss is a waterfall and I believe it is the largest in Europe. Geysir is the site of the geological phenonmena called the geyser. Geysir is not readily active but Strokkur is and goes off every 3-5 minutes. Þingvellir is the original site where the Alþingi (parliament) met back in Iceland's early years and also it happens to be where the North American techtonic plate meets the Eurasian plate. I posted some pictures of the trip in this entry.

I realized this week that I no longer feel like the complete outsider I was when I first got here. I think it has to do with the fact that I'm gradually learning more Icelandic, meeting more Icelanders, and taking part of typical Icelandic activities. Last Sunday, for instance, I went to the nearby pool and spent the entire day either sitting in a hot tub or swimming some laps....outdoors. It sounds unpleasant but it is the complete opposite of that. I encourage everyone to come here and try it someday.

This Sunday I look forward to seeing one of my favorite bands, Sigur Ros, and next Wednesday I will be leaving for a week in Greenland. I can't even begin to describe how happy I am to be here and to be able to do all that I have been doing. Thanks again, mom and dad, for your countless efforts to make this trip possible. Ttys :)



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Living in Reykjavik is quite an interesting experience. It was not at all what I was expecting but the city is nonetheless overwhelming in its beauty and completely different from anywhere I have ever been to. My dorm is in a perfect location because it is right near my classes and very close to the Tjörnin (the city lake). I am lucky to have the room I have because the view from it is really great and I can also watch planes and helicopters landing right near my dorm. Some of my favorite parts of the week include walking to my class in the morning because I can either see bright, colorful city lights (and sometimes the moon) or the sun beginning to rise on this small city surrounded by a mountainous landscape.

Here are some pictures I have taken around Reykjavik, all within close proximity of my dorm. Enjoy!



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