The first day in Iceland started out pretty rough. Our flight had been delayed by 4 hours, leaving us with almost a whole day spent in airports and airplanes. Despite this, as soon as the country came into view of my airplane window, the weariness of the travel left me only to be replaced with pure excitement and awe.
I have never been to a country other than America, and being in a new country with such different terrain and cultural practices was like a shock to the system. It appeared we had driven a very long way from the airport to Reykjavik, but it looked like no distance at all. This is, I believe, due to the mostly flat landscape and the roads that were relatively straight with barely any stops. This was also an advantage when the weather changed from rain to snow, as we did not have to stop as often, which can be dangerous to restart in such conditions. The issue that can come from this smaller, straighter road is that if the lava flows decide to reach it, it can cut the airport off from the rest of Iceland. Actually seeing the places where volcanic fissures have been erupting for months and how they have changed the ecosystems around them was an incredible experience. The beautiful views of the larger volcanoes from the Perlan museum’s spinning restaurant, along with its delicious food, were also a major standout of the day. Not to mention the amazing interactive exhibits about the history of glaciers and volcanoes in Iceland.
Finally getting to the hotel, we were able to rest and eat more amazing food, getting a Viking-sized amount of entertainment to go with it, with the staff serenading us with English and Icelandic songs.(The potatoes were so good)
Overall, an incredible way to start out the trip, and I can’t wait for what tomorrow brings!
Swanson School of Engineering 