Moving Planet

It's been more or less a typical week here back at Solheimar. Tuesday afternoon I spent time in the herb workshop making organic lip balm to be sold here and in Reykjavik! We had Icelandic language class and learned the confusing alphabet... We're also reading a saga in history class that gives a glimpse into what life was like in Iceland around the year 1000. It's amazing how well documented their history is! Other than that, we've been working on some sustainability projects for the community, eating a lot of good food, and having even more fun.

Oh! I also went to the grocery store with two classmates and my professor Hank on Wednesday. The store is called Kronan and is located in nearby Selfoss. It was a little intimidating to find the ingredients we needed when most things were listed in Icelandic or to figure out the price in Icelandic Krona (1 ISK equals a little less than one US cent). Nevertheless, we had fun running around the store and tried (and failed) to sneak some Nutella into the cart. Maybe next time.

Yesterday (Saturday) we all took part in the 350/Moving Planet initiative around the world. This organization is centered around global climate change and creating solutions to bring our parts-per-million of carbon back down to 350. The Moving Planet program is closely tied in with these goals and on Sept. 24, around the world, communities held events to demand solutions to the climate crisis and also to show that we don't need fossil fuels to get around all the time. Anyway, Solheimar had organized a 9k walk/run (about 6 miles) from nearby Minni-Borg to Solheimar for this Moving Planet day. It seemed a little funny to us that the plan was to drive people out to the start line and then they'd walk or run back. So, we walked out there at 8am yesterday, got there for the 10am start, then turned around and came right back!

 We met some more Icelandic horses along the way! 

 The general store from whence we turned around and went back to Solheimar

Most of the participants, including a running team from Selfoss

The walk was a bit tsunami-like on the way there, but it turned out to be sunny and refreshing breezy on the way back. All in all, I was quite proud to say I'd started my weekend with a 12-mile walk. There was chocolate milk, hot soup, and fresh bread to reward the participants upon return.

Speaking of food, last night was my night to cook (with my cooking partner, Lily). She and I created a beautiful place setting (see photo below) and a hearty and spicy Morrocan Tangine for dinner, served over quinoa. Yum! It was fun to be in the kitchen and make a meal for everyone. My friend Tracy and I even made vegan trail-mix cookies for dessert! A good end to a very good day.

 Complete with autumn leaf "bouquet" in the middle- it's a little hard to see

This week we have two class-days at Solheimar, then Wednesday through Saturday we're off to the Hekla Reforestation project near Mt. Hekla (a very active and ready-to-erupt volcano! Fun!). I'll likely repost next Sunday and catch you up on all those adventures.

One last note, today is my one-year anniversary with Lincoln! I'm wishing I could be with him today, but I know all this time apart makes us stronger. Anyway, if you read this, Lincoln: Happy Anniversary!

The Trip of a Lifetime

We returned last night, safe and sound, from a four day backpacking trip in Southern Iceland on the country's most popular hiking trail. The trail is about 31 miles long and runs north to south from Landmannalaugar to Thorsmork.

We left Friday morning and headed east to the start point. Our wonderful Icelandic guides, Pauli and Rosa, met us at Solheimar and quickly built a great report with us: hospitality, knowledge, confidence, compassion, and great food. It was nice to see a new part of Iceland, though Solheimar is beautiful itself. Along the way, we ran into the annual sheep roundup in this region of Iceland. Sheep spend their summers grazing in the mountains and are rounded up before the winter. Farmers from all around the area are required to help out. Some were on foot, some on horses. Border collies were all around, keeping the sheep in line. We drove at about 3 mph for a good 20 minutes as thousands of sheep ran by.

The first day of hiking was difficult. It had begun to rain and it was already near 2pm by the time we got on trail. We climbed over 400 meters in elevation Friday afternoon, facing more wind and rain with each step uphill. The weather, combined with the realization that I was not in as good of shape as I had thought, made for a very pessimistic Elise. I spent the hours thinking of excuses to skip out on the next 3 days of the trip; I thought there was no way I could face more of this harsh landscape and physical challenge. We reached the hut and it was a sight for sore eyes! The hut was heated and full of cozy bunk beds, stoves for coffee, and geothermal pipes to dry wet socks on. 

The "Super-Jeep" that transported our food and luggage from hut to hut

Day two, we woke up to strong winds at our elevation of 1012 meters. This made for difficult hiking, especially along ridges. Wind rushing over the mountains came down like a tunnel, making it hard to move forward. This day was much improved from the first though. We climbed on a glacier, saw some hot ponds, and got a terrific view of the mountain lake Alftavatn where our second cabin was located. The sun peaked out throughout the day and put a big smile on my face. The hut we stayed at here was much newer and very fun. Instead of bunk beds, all the beds were right next to each other (no space), which made for a very silly sleepover.

 Sunset from our room at the second hut

Day three.... I close my eyes and sing "Arabian Nights" to myself. This day was mostly flat, but the majority of the hiking was over the sand flats near the glacier Myrdalsjokull. The winds were a sustained 20 mph, with gusts up to 45 mph. I'd be talking with someone, then all the kneeling on the sand because of a big gust, then jump back up and ask "Can you say that once more?". Conversations weren't very deep that day. We reached that third hut in Emstrur by 2pm, so we took a little side trip to a nearby canyon. I didn't stray too close to the edge, but definitely got an appreciation for the immensity of it from a safe distance. That evening in the hut was lots of fun. After playing several rounds of Spoons (the card game), the had a hearty dinner of tortellini and heard Icelandic ghost stories well into the evening. Needless to say, I had a hard time going to sleep that night with the wind howling and ghosts on  my mind.


Day four was spectacular. The sun shone on and off all day, often mixed with rain. We saw about five different rainbows yesterday, each one brighter than the last. The hike was so enjoyable and the scenery was incredible. About an hour from the end, we crossed a small river. The water was cold but so refreshing. We walked the final kilometer in an Icelandic birch forest, right in the foothills of the volcano/glacier Eyanfajokull. I didn't realize how much I missed the fall colors of Wisconsin until we walked through this forest. After being surrounded by ice, stone, and moss for days, it was so healing to be among trees again. We also hiked this last part silently, to give us a chance to appreciate and fully experience this land around us once more.

Birch forest

The bus picked us up at Thorsmork, and the fearless driver drove confidently over many a river on the way out. We stopped for pizza and soda on the way "home" to refuel on grease and sugar. It was sooo good. My first shower and soak in the hot tub were great and it's nice to be back. I don't feel like I can fully explain all that happened on the trip. It was beautiful, challenging, gratifying, and renewing. I was pushed further than I thought I could go, and am proud of myself for completing the trip. The land was gorgeous beyond belief: mountains of every shape and color, glaciers with their own climates. I gained muscle, confidence, and humility. I experienced just a small part of what Iceland has to give and I will never forget this trip. That is all.

Wood Shop and Kaffe Break

Yesterday (Wednesday), we spent the afternoon in various workshops around the Solheimar community. Each is manned by a staff member or intern, and several of the home people help out with tasks within the shops. These workshops include: felting, weaving, soapmaking, papermaking, ceramics, candle-making, "forestry" (landscaping), greenhouse, and woodworking, just to name a few.

I headed down to the wood shop with my classmate Jordan yesterday after lunch. A staff member (can't remember her name... she was French though!) greeted us and introduced us to the project that we and all other CELL students will be working on. Everyone will design a tree and create it out of wood. We will then put all the trees in Sesseljuhus, our classroom building, and each year students will add on to the collection...creating the CELL forest! Cute idea!

The hardest part for me was the actual sketching of my tree. I can't draw to save my life, but I managed to a draw something resembling a tree. I traced the sketch onto a mahogany plank with carbon paper, then used the band saw to roughly cut out the tree.

 Jordan and I looking confused and excited

 Jordan concentrating at the band saw

My tree before the final touches

After the band saw, I used a belt sander and a few other tools before spending an hour using sand paper to round out the edges. Finally, I painted my tree with oil and left it to dry. I was so proud! I want to be a carpenter when I grow up!

Final product!

I almost forgot to mention, in the middle of the afternoon, we stopped for a coffee (kaffe) break. Icelanders are serious about their coffee. It was accompanied by rhubarb tarts and chocolate cake. Wonderful.

We are heading out tomorrow afternoon for a 4 day backpacking trip a little ways east of us on a popular trail here. We'll be staying in huts along the way and enjoying glaciers, hot springs, river crossings, and rain! I'll catch you all up on Tuesday or Wednesday!

Hestur, Handbells, and Hummus

Time to catch up on a busy weekend!

This Saturday was our hike to nearby Mt. Hestur (about 750 ft. high, pretty significant for Iceland). We walked for about 2 miles on the road before reaching the base, and encountered some Icelandic sheep, horses, and a dog along the way.

A "home person" named Sigi accompanied us to the bottom of Mt. Hestur. Although it is hard for him to walk on his bad hip, he feels like he is our guardian and looks forward to taking us to the mountain each year. He is very sweet and speaks pretty good English, but he talks fast so you have to keep up with the conversation!

As we began to climb the mountain, it was clear there was no defined trail. I was fine until we started leaning into the hill and rocks began to move a bit beneath my feet. There was also a bit of exposure (distance to fall downslope before being caught/able to stop on something) and the view looking down began to get me nervous. I am still pretty afraid of heights, so it was a little embarrassing for me to ask the professors if I could turn back while the rest of the group was happily scrambling up the mountain. Fortunately, they were very understanding and my professor Karin stayed behind with me. We ended up having a lot of fun together and enjoyed a good conversation. Once the group began their descent, Sigi decided he wanted to get a head start going back down the road. He took hold of my hand and I helped him walk for a few hundred yards down the rocky lane. At first it was a little strange, but I could see the appreciation and gratefulness in his eyes as I helped him walk. When we stopped to take a break, he told me I was his best friend and that he would someday some to the States to visit me. Although I know he won't, it was one of the most sincere thank-you's I've ever gotten.

Mt. Hestur

The Northern Lights showed themselves in all their glory on Saturday night. While soaking in the hot tub with four other classmates, we were amazed to look up and see a streak of the Lights shooting in the sky right over the pool. First they were bright green. Then they would begin to spiral and dance around the sky, turning white then an intense hot pink before turning back to green again. We all stared at the sky for at least twenty minutes in wonder. The only words we exchanged were "Wow!" and "Incredible"! If I never see the Northern Lights again, I will not feel cheated at all. They were truly amazing.

Sunday afternoon I went to the church service in Solheimar with my two professors Hank and Karin. Though the whole service was in Icelandic, I enjoyed people watching and trying to hum along with the music. The best part of the service was a visiting handbell choir made up people with all sorts of disabilities. They stood in a semicircle, with the teacher standing in the middle. As she gestured to a person, they would ring their bell. Though the music was very simple, it was so moving to watch these people make beautiful music with such joy. I was nearly brought to tears.

The reference to hummus was related to the homemade hummus that we made in the food processor! Yum! We also made popcorn the old-fashioned way last night and had a girl's movie night in the living room. Very fun.

Gotta run! Eggplant Parmesan for dinner!

A Nap in the Prairie

Today has been a great "school day". I can hardly believe I'm getting credit for all of this sometimes (I assure you though, I am learning so much).

Today, Friday, began with our usual morning meeting with all the community members. We hold hands, stand in a circle, spend a few moments in silence, then sing the morning song to greet the day. It's a very powerful and grounding time here... also fun to hear all the announcements for the day in Icelandic and try to pick up a few phrases. We then headed back to the house, baked some oatmeal raisin cookies for our open house tonight, and had vegetable crepe/pancakes/egg rolls for lunch.

This afternoon was beautiful. We've had two continuous days of sunshine and clear skies (a rare phenomenon here!). It's been a little windy and chilly (in the 40s), but it's pleasant to be outside. We took a little hike down the road to a path along a creek. From there, we all split up and spent 30 minutes sitting by ourselves in the prairie there. It was incredibly humbling, to be laying in the grasses, just listening to the wind move through the plants and realizing how small I am within the complexities and wonders of creation. I was so relaxed that I did fall asleep for a bit, and awoke to my professor Karin ringing a cowbell to call us back together.

 The view from my nap spot

I'm still alive and well!

After that, we headed back to our house for a talk about energy-efficient food (appropriately set around the dinner table). Dinner was tasty... bean soup and bread. I am eating healthier here than ever before! This evening was a highlight though. We served cookies, rhubarb tarts, and a chocolate cake along with coffee and had invited all the community members over for conversation and company. I spoke with a few interns and staff, but really enjoyed my time with the "home people" (disabled) who came. One lady called Honey spent a half hour with me telling me about her family, her life at Solheimar, and teaching me lots of Icelandic vocabulary (earlobe, twenty-seven, sock, etc.). 

Tomorrow we will hike nearby Mt. Hestur (Horse Mountain) with a resident named Siggy. More on that this weekend!

Autumn Hike

Here I am already, near the end of my second day in Iceland. This place is truly incredible. Our group is meshing well and we already have an arsenal of inside jokes. It's pretty great.

I am constantly amazed at the landscape and weather of Iceland. In one word they can be described as: diverse. The wind, temperature, and clouds literally change every five minutes. The land is a beautiful mix of glaciers, tundra, mountains, and rivers. Speaking of, on our hike this afternoon (just a casual stroll after class), we climbed up a hill on Solheimar's property. We passed by a geothermal stream, picked some wild "blueberries", and found that we could see Eyjafjallajokull (the volcano that erupted in Iceland in May 2010) from where we were. The name literally means "Island Mountain Glacier" and is pronounced "Ay-ya-fee-holla-yoke-ull".

We had our first Icelandic culture and language class today. The words are hard to pronounce but actually quite simple in their literal meanings. The Icelandic language is one of the most intact and oldest languages in Europe... originating from the original Viking language. Also, apparently Icelandic men are more closely related to Norwegian men (Vikings) while Icelandic women are closely related to British and Irish women (women who were snatched up by the Vikings long ago.... also why all the Icelandic women are beautiful and they aren't so beautiful in the British Isles!).

Most of the group is headed to nearby Selfoss for a grocery shopping trip. I volunteered to stay behind with 3 others... the thought of trying to find ingredients in an Icelandic grocery store seems a little overwhelming right now.

I did get by first glimpse of the Northern Lights here around midnight last night. They were green and bright, but not really "dancing". Most folks were asleep, but my classmates Lily and Tracy were able to see them with me on the deck. The stars are incredibly bright out here too- no cities to pollute the night sky!

I'm off to take a shower (likely extremely hot by this time of day) and curl up with some readings for class. It's a little nice to have homework to do and get back into some sort of a schedule. Bӕ, Bӕ!

A Few Pictures...

Also, I should mention that the weather is lovely. It's nice to feel the 50s, a shiver at a cool breeze, and smell rain in the air. I would say that it feels similar to late October in WI.

Here are some pictures from my first 6 hours in Iceland!

Tracy looking excited in the Van!

View from van near airport

Closet

Double bedroom but only occupied by me

Bathroom with temperamental shower... it asks you what degree C you want the water and then comes out either +/- 20 degrees from that.

Dining room

Living room

View from living room

Sunroom

Fridge with all sorts of Scandinavian goodies. Definitely poured some yogurt on my cereal thinking it was milk ("mjulk" was on the carton). Turns out it was just yogurt, not curdled milk!

We made it!

I am currently sitting in my room in the Brekkukot Guesthouse in Solheimar. There is so much to say. My group is wonderful: there are ten of us students (3 men, 7 women), and two professors: Hank and Karin. We all get along really well, but it's hard to see exactly what we are all like when we're not running on <1 hour of sleep.

I sat next to a nice German girl on the flight, enjoyed a movie, and got a little anxious about flying over the ocean (though I suppose that's safer, eh?). I was able to watch on a screen approximately where we were over the earth. We flew over Newfoundland and Labrador and off the southern coast of Greenland. I tried and failed at sleeping, but enjoyed watching the sun shine on the clouds as morning swept the earth.

Our flight got in early (around 6am Iceland time) and we spent a few minutes exchanging currency and investigating the Ikea-esque Icelandic restrooms. A woman from Solheimar named Katrín was there to meet us. We loaded our gear into a sea-foam green van and started driving to the Solheimar, our new home for the fall.

The landscape is very interesting here. There are very few trees in parts and from what I could see, the land is mostly black (volcanic rock) or yellow-green (moss). It is quite mountainous here (for a Wisconsin girl) and I loved sleepily watching the land roll by. We smiled at the names of their stores and restaurants (we can't pronounce any of them.. except for TGI Friday's and KFC). We also passed an old ski resort that was built near a mountain, but there was never enough snow to ski! My classmate Jordan almost died laughing at that.

Once we got to Solheimar, we ran down a hill to join the morning meeting and singing of the morning song (though today someone had a birthday so we heard that instead). We had a lovely breakfast of toast, yogurt, granola, tea, hard boiled eggs, milk, and very strong amazing coffee. We chose our rooms (I have a double room but am the only one in it) and moved all our stuff in.

I will catch up in a little bit! Off to lunch... though we are still full from breakfast. Pictures soon! So glad to finally be here!

I'm leavin on a jet plane..

Currently sitting in Boston airport waiting to meet my group. Beantown was great! Typing on a mobile device is hard.. Just wanted to post once more in the US. Catch you on GMT!

My bags are [nearly] packed ... I'm ready to go!

Here I am, already on the eve of my departure from home! It's crazy to think how fast this past month has gone by in the flurry of jobs, internships, and family. The reality that, by this time next week, I will already be at Solheimar and will be sleeping my fourth night in Iceland is....unreal.

I am incredibly excited and a little nervous at the same time. There are lots of unknowns (food, people, travel, etc.), but I suppose that's the whole excitement of the journey!

Packing my bags this week has been an interesting experience. My great boyfriend Lincoln is here and has been very helpful in making me prioritize what I bring and what I leave behind. I am a chronic over-packer so it is hard to hear, "Honey, you don't need 27 pairs of Smartwool socks..."

Both of my checked bags need to be under 50 lbs. so the scale is a helpful reminder to me that I don't need to pack everything!

The next few days are as follows: Fri 9/2, leave for Milwaukee. Sat. 9/3 Fly Milwaukee to Boston. Spend the weekend in Boston with Dad, enjoying gelato and walking around the city. Sunday night I will meet my group at the Boston Logan airport before our flight to Keflavik (just south of Reykjavik).

I will post an update soon when I am on Eastern time!