We finally made it to Iceland! During the flight, I could see the Northern Lights along the ocean. The green color was beautiful, but I unfortunately didn’t get a picture. We landed in Keflavik airport at around 5:30 am GMT (12 am EST). From there, we met up with our tour guide Ólöf who took us to our bus. Stepping outside, I was hit with a gust of wind so strong it knocked me off balance. Because the winds were so intense (60 mph!), we couldn’t stick to our original itinerary. Iceland prohibits large vehicles (like buses) from traveling during inclement weather. This is a safety measure as there’s only one main road in the entire country and it’s a two lane street. So we had a quick stop in Reykjavik until conditions were safe again.
We saw the Hallgrímskirkja church, an iconic Protestant church in the center of the capital as well as the Rainbow Road. Throughout Reykjavik, the architecture pays tribute to the country’s history. Basalt formations are incorporated into everything from pillars on the road to windows of the National Theater.
After our short stop in Reykjavik, we wen to the Hellisheiði geothermal power plant. This power plant is located on an optimal spot for geothermal energy harvesting. It is one of the largest power plants in the world. Because of the make up of the ground and the geothermal plant, other sustainable initiatives can exist. The plant has a program in which it captures carbon and puts it in to the ground.
After this, we went to a hot spring national park. The steam was very hot and felt nice in the freezing wind.
My initial impressions of the island are that they are very proud of what they do. Whether that be carrying on Norse/Icelandic tradition through art or producing clean energy to power its nation, the country and those in it seem very eager to share. I’m excited to learn more about Icelandic culture/history with our future visits to museums. I’m also excited to explore of Iceland’s beautiful scenery. But what I’m most looking forward to is sleeping and getting over my jet lag!
Swanson School of Engineering 