Day 6 in Iceland: I have a coffee obsession?

Day 6 in Iceland started exactly how you would expect from someone who might have developed a slight coffee obsession. I may or may not have started the morning with four espresso shots… which probably isn’t the healthiest choice, but it was delicious. One thing I have grown to love here is the coffee machines that seem to be everywhere. With the press of a button you can choose from so many different drinks. AND they are always served in the cutest small cups. That is definitely something I will miss when I leave. Along with the coffee, breakfast was simple: fruit, jelly toast, and some sausages.

After breakfast we started our day by visiting the University of Reykjavík. When we arrived, it seemed like everyone was heading out for a weekend ski trip… although, we didn’t actually see many skis…

We were given a tour by one of the professors, Ármann, and it was fascinating. The layout of the university is designed to resemble a solar system, with different hallways representing different planets. They are even planning a new building that will sit slightly apart from the others, and they are thinking about naming it Pluto.

During the tour we got to see several labs and research spaces. One project that really stood out to me focused on motion sickness. Researchers are using virtual reality while monitoring participants’ brain and body responses to better understand how motion sickness works. I thought that was incredibly interesting!!!

Another highlight was seeing a wind tunnel in one of the labs. They were testing wind turbines and studying how turbine placement affects performance. Instead of focusing on just one turbine, they were looking at how multiple turbines interact with each other.

We also had the chance to see some second-year thesis projects, which were seriously impressive. Icelandic students are doing some amazing work. After that, we listened to a lecture from a PhD student who talked about geothermal energy in Iceland, its history, how it is used today, how it impacts daily life, and how Iceland is expanding its knowledge and technology in this area.

Later in the day we had some free time in downtown Reykjavík. We walked around, did a little souvenir shopping, grabbed some baked goods, enjoyed people watching in the city, and had my 5th shot of espresso the day. It was a relaxing way to spend the afternoon.