Journaling from Iceland

When I arrived in Iceland I had every intention of starting a blog of my own. That didn't happen. I blame it on the issue of time. Compared to normal college, in which your time is dominated by class, readings, papers, studying, and clubs, CELL actually offers a lot more stress-free free time; but also so many ways to spend it. We do have some reading and writing assignments, but mainly I find myself choosing to spend my time with the others in my program and sometimes the home people and international interns and volunteers; often I'll choose knitting, stargazing, writing (lengthy) personal emails to friends and family back home, or even just walking around in this beautiful country over sitting down and writing a blog. So, I haven't written one. But I have been keeping a journal, because I've kept a journal since I was 16, and what would be the point in stopping now? I'm not sure if I could write one blog post that accurately represents the breadth of experiences I've had in my short 2 1/2 weeks here in Iceland so far, so instead I'll just share snippets of actual journal entries I've written over that time.

September 4th, 2013

"I am in Iceland. I am in Iceland.

I AM IN ICELAND.

It still seems kind of ridiculous to me. If it hadn't been for the ordeal of the plane rides (which aside from being a hassle in the airports made me feel sick) and the people speaking Icelandic and the volcanic soil and the geothermal vents and the temperature change… Aw, who am I kidding. This is like a whole other world. A terrifying, brilliantly exciting world.

…

I want to write about all the things I've seen and done, like the stars out the plant's window fading in a sunrise of billowing clouds over the Atlantic ocean, the double rainbow over the airport, the dramatic scenery and the tree populated village and all the people I've met… but I need sleep."

September 6th, 2013

"My favorite, though, was our hike down to the river, surrounded by the dramatic landscape, including soaring mountains and a far-off ice field. We walked through a "forest" of recently planted trees. Before we got to the river, we all went off the path to sit by ourselves and simply be in a place. I laid down, cushioned by all the tall, natural grass, and watched one solitary cloud drift by as the wind whistled through the blades of grass. I was perfectly content. After 15 minutes we kept hiking, and just before we got to the river we found a patch of blueberries growing wild and sat down to munch They were about half the size of the blueberries I picked with Sara [this summer], but so sweet and delicious. After practically eating our weight in Icelandic blueberries (not really) we climbed one last little hill to the river. Some people went wading, but I just found I squishy, mossy rock on the hillside and say, taking in the scenery. When we began to head back, we all pitched in to pick enough blueberries to make muffins. When we got back we realized we don't have a muffin pan. So we're still trying to figure out what to do with those blueberries."

September 8th, 2013

"Since there are no trees you can see for miles, the massive mountains and ravines and seaming geothermal vents and rivers. And everywhere, sheep dotting the mossy hillsides. We stopped at a hot pool, where some of the girls went skinny dipping. I didn't… After that we ate lunch and headed back, and drove to the town of Selfoss. First we went into a thrift store, where they had live music and baked goods [because it was their opening day]."

September 11th, 2013

"Wow. I didn't even realize what the date was until I wrote it. It's always such a big deal in the US, but here in Iceland it's just another cold, rainy day. (I say that having just come from the hot spring. A French couple have just moved into our room at the hut and see displeased by how much stuff we have sprawled everywhere-- sleeping bags, wet gear, clothing hanging from the rafters to dry. And it's totally not my fault that they walked in on me changing.)…

We walked across the flat, rocky bottom of a canyon veined with streams until we got to one ridge that was practically a vertical incline, which Palli began to climb. That's when Rosa took me back, along with Nora, who hurt her knee yesterday and was limping… We ended up going to the hot spring and staying there a while. It was such a weird experience, walking out there and back through the frigid wind in just a bathing suit, and then sitting in water that was hot on the bottom and top and could in the middle. But it was really cool."

September 12th, 2013

"When I woke up this morning there was snow. Summer isn't even officially over in the US, and we built snowmen and made snow angels and threw/ate snowballs and trudged through a blizzard. I found myself singing 'Winter Wonderland' to myself. There's just something about snow, even when I have to hike through it stinging my face, that raises my spirits… Hiking in the snow through the jumble of a lava field is something I'm not likely to soon forget."

September 13th, 2013

"So it turns out more did happen after I wrote yesterday-- mostly, a spaghetti dinner and ghost stories (with more chocolate covered raisins and peanuts and head-lamp lighting) from Palli and Rosa. Even though I knew they were just telling the stories for entertainment (like how they told us about the French tourists who they had convinced about the existence of faeries), it was still honestly pretty spooky. I had to snuggle in my sleeping back nice and tight to be able to sleep at all…

The hike out today was wonderful… aside from two freak snow storms near the end, the weather was (finally) positively gorgeous, sunny and with little wind. We had lunch on a hill overlooking a lava field with snowy mountains in he background, and I was just full to the brim with an overwhelming feeling of contentedness and joy. We hiked up to see a lake in a crater, which was stunningly gorgeous and breathtaking, and finally headed down to meet our turquoise bus…

Then we got stuck in one of the worst traffic jams I've ever been in as for 2 hours they herded a massive hoard of sheep right down the middle of the road."

September 14th, 2013

"The main event of today was the sheep round-up. All the farmers in the area herd their sheep up together and then sort them into corals to take home for the winter. It's a huge social event it seems, so we were able to go and hang out and help out, which was supremely fun. We got to play with sheep and horses and see the infinite variety of Icelandic sweaters and watch the drinking and singing and kids wrangling sheep."

September 15th, 2013

"…and there was a slug in my salad at dinner."

September 17th, 2013

"Today I saw the Northern Lights for the first time in my life. They were beautiful… Later, when they got brighter and danced, I jumped up and down, full of joy and excitement, and Kaiya gave me a huge hug."

September 18th, 2013

"The first person we met with in the morning was Andri Snaer, the writer, in his coal-power-plant-turned-creative-space office. We sat in a room with all sorts of control panels and switchboards on fancy leather couches while he talked to us about his writing career-- from poetry to children's books to sci-fi novels to activism to finally a new fantasy manuscript he told us about. At one point a cat wandered in and we all pet it until he kicked it out for stealing his show. At the end he had books to sell and sign, but they ran out before I could get one. I was really upset… until I found out he had invited us to his house to get more books! Which was so cool. We did that on our way out of the city… and he came out of his house barefoot and signed books for us on his doorstep, and then brought out a precious whippet puppy that we all pet. It was wonderful."

September 19th, 2013

"We had our first lesson in Icelandic, which is a terrifyingly difficult language. Of course, the European interns totally showed us up with their language learning abilities, because they're already speaking in their second language. Which I find pretty incredible."

-Jessica

2 Decades Down

I turned 20 yesterday, the baby of the group. A birthday is one of those things that can be exciting, but you kind of know what to expect. Nowadays, you expect people you don’t really know to wish you a happy birthday on Facebook. Cards from grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents, and friends. Stuff like that. It’s a different age, but you know the drill pretty well.

I didn’t know what it would be like in Solheimar. But when I woke up in the morning, I thought it was kind of strange that one of my roommates, McKayla, wasn’t in bed across from me. Usually the promise of coffee (after a series of alarms from both of us) drag us out of bed into the kitchen for breakfast. I walked into the kitchen to find a plate full of eggs and toast and yogurt (in a wine glass, no less) waiting for me that she snuck out of the room earlier to make. How many people can say they had someone they’ve known for only 2 weeks surprise them with breakfast on their birthday?

During morning meeting, it was announced to the community that it was my birthday. A different song was sung at the closing of the meeting, and before I knew it I was surrounded by people wanting to wish me a happy birthday (or something along those lines, I’m still trying to understand the majority of what they say). I think it was the most hugs and kisses I’ve ever gotten! Their love is so natural, just being around the home people can bring warmth to your heart, and having that attention directed at you can be an uplifting experience.

The best was yet to come. After being away from a guitar and a mandolin for only a few shorts weeks, and being told we had the opportunity to borrow one, I couldn’t contain myself. As soon as our meetings were over I jumped at the chance to grab it and start playing. I started out alone in our sunroom, then slowly I was joined by most of the group, one by one. Just coming in to read, sit on the computer and do whatever it is we do on computers, talk to each other, whatever. Sometimes they’d know a song and sing along, or request one. It was the best birthday present I could have imagined. Getting to finally play music, and then being joined by my housemates/classmates/new best friends and feeling fulfilled from both music and company. Playing guitar felt comfortable again, like finally letting go after holding your breath.

Usually, you’d have cake on your birthday. Or something like that. We had a rhubarb tart. How many other people can say they got a rhubarb tart for their birthday?

Since it was my mom’s birthday as well, at home I’m used to celebrating with her. Sharing a birthday is a lot more special than you’d think, especially when it’s with your mom. That part of the day will never change. But I’d have to say that turning 20 in Iceland was the best idea I’ve ever had.

-Nora Jackson

Thanks to this whole crew for an incredible day, and many the many more to come.  Thanks to Rosa for capturing this moment. 

Colors of Iceland

The community of Solheimar has moved me. I recognize that each and every experience I have impacts the person I choose to be. I chose to embark on this adventure because I knew that it would help facilitate positive growth in myself.  I can only imagine how much I will truly change over the course of this semester; in my thoughts, I cannot wait to see the results. I am excited to become fully engaged with the Solheimar community. Never before have I worked with people so different from myself. They are different in a noble way. In a way that is hard to find words to adequately express. I recognize myself growing with each interaction and conversation I have with the home people, my fellow peers and residents of this beautiful country.  The people of Solheimar were so happy to welcome our unfamiliar group into their community.  If I leave this place assuming the same level of genuineness as the people of this village I will truly be a far better version of myself.

Eg heitir McKayla. This is what Iceland and its people have given me in my short time here.  I am a big fan of lists, so here it goes.

Inspiration in all forms.

Empowerment.

Shifting paradigms. Shifting skewed perceptions.

Open discussions involving critical thinking. Systems thinking. Deep ecology.      

Thinking like a mountain. Then climbing one.

Spirituality and self-reflection. Music.

Alien landscapes full of color and wonder.

The northern lights…magic.

Thermal pools. Lava fields. Volcanos. Destruction, creation.

Glaciers. Melting snowcaps. Chasing Ice.

The power of rainbows, wind and a forever changing scene.

Sunshine-rain-snow: all in 5 minutes.

Sheep on sheep on sheep. Culture & Controversy.

Discovery. The Vikings ARRGH.

Hank’s iceberg metaphor. The things we don’t talk about.

Materialism and consumerism. Simple living- sustainable living.

Creative solutions found within a think-tank.

Finding meaning of Sustainability within a community. Solheimar.

Artists are not unreliable; lawyers, politicians?

Corporate greed and dishonesty. Corruption. Dreamland.

Constant progression and/or destruction.

Aluminum smelting by means of cheap energy. Exploitation of the landscape.

Operations that are in harmony with natural systems. Ones that destroy them.

Recognizing assumptions. Losing them.

Taking responsibility. Finding solutions.

A new perspective on renewables. Greenwashing.

Food. Lentils. Coffee-Tea-Cookies and more coffee. The troll garden.

Hiking. Pure exhilaration. Palli and Rosa are bold and fearless.

If the sheep can do it, we can do it.

Hugs. Smiles. Genuine interactions. Language barriers.

Joining hands for morning meeting. Nothing else matters in that moment. 

Feeling alive. LOVE.

Bless Bless! McKayla Baker

The Northern Lights

On Tuesday night, the 17th, around 9 o'clock, many of the home people, interns, and people who work in Solheimar were planning to meet outside of the school building to gaze at the stars and if we were lucky, see the northern lights, because the sky was supposed to be very clear.

After looking at the stars for a bit, me and four or so other people decided to go out into a nearby field and throw around a light up frisbee. It was a lot of fun and some of the interns working in Solheimar - came to join us.

At one point when we were throwing the frisbee around, I turned around for a second and saw faintly in the sky behind me what could have been the northern lights but I wasn't sure so I didn't say anything at first. Slowly, each of us stopped what we were doing at began to stare at the sky. 

It was faint at first, just a distant green glow in the sky but as it got a bit later into the night, the green got more and more visible. In some ways it looked like a green rainbow - it was similarly shaped in an arc across the dark sky. At times it was faint but at some points it got more intense and you could see it shimmering across the sky - it almost seemed like it was dancing in front of us. It was truly one of the most incredible things I have ever experienced and I can't imagine what it will be like as the days get shorter and the nights get darker and the northern lights get more and more visible. 

What made the experience even more exciting was that so many of us were seeing it for the first time. Every since I got accept into the CELL program, I have been looking forward to seeing the northern lights and it was finally happening on this beautifully clear and surprisingly still (not windy) night. We probably spent over an hour out there staring at the sky - witnessing the Aurora Borealis. At times we were all giggling and talking excitedly but there were also times of distinct silence where all eleven or so of us were just standing there in complete awe of the green lights in the sky dancing before us. 

One of the interns from Romania, George, was out there with us with his camera taking incredible long exposure pictures of the northern lights. Here is a picture he took of the group of us with the northern lights in the background:

By: Margo Feingold

Reflecting on Creativity and Innovation

Now having been in Sólheimar for just about 3 weeks now, I feel that I have become Iceland myself.  I have been absorbing the people, eating the food, breathing the freshest air, showering in the sulfurous hot water and walking on the moss carpeted lava fields.  Since being here, I have done an incredible amount of thinking.  Or less thinking, depending on the context.  I am surrounded by thoughtful people who want to analyze their actions and connect with the world around us, just as I do.

One of my favorite experiences so far was meeting with writer and activist Andri Snær Magnason.  We met in his office, a coal plant turned think-tank building, full of creative minds and active members of society.  Sitting and listening to him talk, I felt inspired.  He is a thinker.  To write his novels or stories, he had to carefully think about what kind of worlds he wants to create and what he is trying to portray through his writing.  We had the pleasure to listen to him explain the plots of the books and his process of thinking.  His work always directly related to something going on in his society, as to raise awareness about particular issues but present them in a way that makes people see it in a new context.

This kind of creativity is what more people need.  I found my mind racing with ideas about my world perspective currently and how I would like to see it in the future, while listening to him explain his life experiences and how he interprets them into writing.  Especially after watching a short video clip with our group the other day about our education systems today, I found myself reflecting on how we are taught from a young age to follow the dictated and prescribed plans, pass standardized tests and if you don’t answer the question first or adhere to the “proper” formula for your essays, you are labeled as less smart than the rest.  We are not surrounded by things that shift our paradigms on the daily basis or by people or subjects that inspire us, nor are we supported to think creatively.   Even if we do have the chance to reflect on how these systems affect our learning, there is little we can do to break out of it. 

Through participating in CELL, I have been able to reflect on every action in my life: past present, and future.  I have been able to open my mind to the possibilities that life can offer, the experiences that can present themselves if you let them in, and the world that we can create with some deep creative thinking and cooperation.  These changes may start small, like in communities like Sólheimar and with people like myself, but when their message catches on, it deepens its roots and recreates our society from the ground, up. 

~Emily~

The Basics

I wanted to give you prospective students some straight descriptions of what to expect in Solheimar, because I would have appreciated more details than other blogs and descriptions give you. I hope this doesn't get too technical, but I plan to answer questions about what daily life is like, what living quarters and free time we have, and all that stuff in between.

When we arrived here, I was shocked and delighted at how beautiful the home we’d be staying in was. We get basically an entire floor of this two-story house to ourselves, and of the bedrooms available we were allotted 4 single bedrooms, one double and one triple. Each person gets a large wardrobe with about 5 shelves, 4 wire drawers, and a big space for hanging coats and storing backpacks. The beds are comfy, the house is always warm, and I kind of wish I had known that before packing an extra blanket (just in case).

In place of that blanket I could’ve brought a few other shirts and normal wear. Their packing list of “2 to 3 t-shirts” was not followed by most people here. I mean, we’re here for an entire semester. Not that I’m big on fashion, but I would like to change my shirts up a little more than I’m able to.

Also, be prepared to constantly put on and take off your shoes – aka bring some good sandals or flats that you can wear with socks. All the buildings ask you to take your shoes off, and the walks between the houses are so short that it’s annoying to tie your shoes each time – which is why I don’t tie my shoes a lot of the time. But also good to know is that it’s always really warm inside (no matter how cold it is outside – geothermal, yay!)

Daily Life.. is very low-stress. We've been given a book to read that I’m very slowly making my way through, as well as some other shorter readings that we have discussions about, but other than that there is very little homework – only this blog entry and two journal entries so far. I love it. Free time may not be in excess, but there’s always some here and there. We’re busy most of the day on weekdays, but then there’s dinner prep – about an hour or two of free time if you’re not cooking – and then after dinner we might watch a documentary but not always. And then weekends have a fair amount of free time so far, time to relax, crochet, listen to music, and hang out. It’s really nice, and sometimes a little hard to remember to read my book x)

A word about food. We all make our own breakfast, usually something small. Then we have lunch with the community at noon every weekday that we’re here (which isn’t always – if we go away for the day). The lunch with the community always provides a vegetarian option and there’s a nice salad bar with lots of fruit. Then we prepare dinner ourselves, two people each day cook for the whole group, and so far it’s been delicious every single day. The food at our disposal is a rather wide range, even if there aren't many snacks other than fruit, we have all the basics.

Oh, and the hike. The four day hike that I was SUPER worried about before coming. Firstly, I would like to make it clear that it is not an overnight hike – you do not carry everything that you need with you on your back. The backpack that I brought was prepared for that, but it was a little too intense for just a day hike. I should have bought a better backpack, as some of the ones I've observed here have been; with a thick, comfy waist strap that has little pockets for holding things, a tight mesh separation between where the back pack rests on your back and where the backpack’s holding begins (if that makes sense), and a cool flap on the top that buckles down, protecting the inside. A better backpack would have been a good thing, but it wasn’t too bad with just a normal backpack. I had to keep everything in plastic bags for protection from the massive amount of rain, and I wore a lot fewer layers than I expected because I got pretty hot from the exercise of hiking (only a fleece and a rain jacket, and then on the bottom a thermal layer, hiking pants, and rain pants).

I also wish I had brought more of my yarn and maybe some knitting needles. Luckily I brought my crochet needles and a couple projects I was working on… but I've just been crocheting so much that I keep pining for the yarn I have at home. But we've had adequate chances for shopping and buying new yarn (Icelandic wool!), and now I just have to figure out fitting all the new projects in my suitcase for going home.

I hope this helps you understand what to pack and what to expect a little bit better than before! This is a wonderful community here at Solheimar and I’m excited for the next two months + 1 week we get to spend here getting to know each other and the community. When it comes down to it, it doesn't really matter what I packed, what my expectations were, or if I was a little unprepared for the hike. What matters is that I came with an open, eager mind, and that I’ll have a wonderful time if I let myself enjoy it.

~Rori

A few things I love about Iceland...

·         The vast, glorious landscapes that seem to extend forever

·         The way the land itself is so very alive, with active volcanoes, bubbling hot springs, and steam vents

·         The clean air and water

·         The frequency of sun showers and rainbows

·         The challenging and beautiful Icelandic language

·         The national love of coffee and the fancy machines everyone has for dispensing it

·         Skyr: A dairy product similar to plain Greek yogurt

·         The way Icelanders tend to pluralize English words that we normally wouldn't pluralize, like "popcorns" and "sheeps".

·         The opportunity to see the Northern Lights

·         Trolls, fairies, and elves live here, although I haven’t met any yet.

·         The abundance of hot water and the Icelanders' love of heated swimming pools

·         The way everyone seems to know everyone else

·         Soft, spongy, colorful moss: One time I looked at a hill and thought that the sun was shining on it, but it was just covered in brilliant yellow-green moss

·         The variety of colorful volcanic rocks: black, red, blue, yellow, striped…

·         Apparently it is possible to see the full moon and the sun at the same time

·         Something about Iceland frequently makes me feel like I’m in The Lord of the Rings

·         Icelandic sweaters

·         Icelandic sheep

·         Icelandic horses

·         Icelandic dogs

 

And a few things I found surprising…

·         The force of the wind here

·         Horse meat is commonly eaten and is served at Solheimar

·         There is no word in Icelandic for "please"

·         Apparently Icelanders don't blow their noses

·         The number of times a day I find myself saying “Wow”


-Sarah