Today was, by far, the coolest day we’ve had yet. If you’ve read the other blog posts, you may think it’s because we saw the Northern lights, but what made this the best day was the fact that we saw unique sights each time.
The first stop was Skógafoss. Skógafoss is a waterfall between the towns of Vik and Selfoss. It falls over a cliffside that has a stairwell built onto it. So, of course, I ran up those steps. I did not make it far, but some Norse God would feel honored by my efforts. At the top, we got a nice view of the Skógá River flowing into it. Aside from the hail and wind, it was a very peaceful experience.
The next stop was the Skogar museum. The Skogar museum was established in 1949 and holds over 18,000 artifacts. It had many different exhibits, including crafts, wildlife, methods of transportation, and technology. Since we’re here for engineering purposes, we were given a scavenger hunt taking place in the technical museum. However, I was particularly drawn to the crafts section. There was a wide variety of different crafts, including items that were sewn, embroidered, painted, built with wood, smithed, drawn, and carved. My life goal is to learn as many of these types of skills as possible, and I can’t believe I had the opportunity to see the accumulation of so many of these trades in one location. The Icelanders were so much more technically skilled than us, and it was amazing to see. Even seeing how the farmers built their own hydroelectric generators- I was born in the wrong era.
Next, we saw a glacier right outside of Vik. I have never seen a glacier before, and after this trip, I will likely never see one again. But it was amazing to see the sheer size of it and admire the wonders of nature. The next stop was the town of Vik itself, which had a black sand beach! To be honest, it wasn’t underwhelming, but it was exactly what you’d expect a black sand beach to be.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel. It was nice to relax with everyone, but the best part of the night was the highly anticipated Northern Lights. Going on this trip, I didn’t think I’d see them at all. I thought it would be nice if it happened, but I wouldn’t allow myself to get my hope up. But once they appeared, the lights were incredible. They danced in the sky in such a fluid and rhythmic manner. It was absolutely breathtaking. I will never get to see such a beautiful sight again in my life, and I’m so lucky I got the opportunity to come on this trip for a once in a lifetime experience. I already thought that this day was the best day of the trip, and then the Northern Lights made it even better. Overall, I’ll remember this day as one of the coolest of my life.
Swanson School of Engineering 