Job 12:7-8 says as following; “But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you.” I think that this verse has really resonated with me throughout the past month here in Iceland. There is so much more to learning than textbooks, exams, and tests. CELL has been one of the first nontraditional academic experiences I’ve been faced with. Tests and exams have been stripped away. In replace are reflections on trips and discussions on experiences. I have transitioned from memorizing a reading for a test, to reading for thought and really questioning what material is being placed in front of me.
Throughout this experience, I have really re-found an awareness for my place in nature. Last weekend we traveled to Snæfellsnes Peninsula. While on the trip I was so amazed at the beauty around me, yet couldn’t be blind to the opposite. We had stopped at a waterfall for one last small hike before heading home for the weekend. However, as we approached the trail head just beyond the waterfall, we were shortly stopped by ropes closing off the trail, as if it had never existed. If I had not been with this specific group, knowing ahead of time about the hike, if I had just been any ordinary tourist, I would have had no idea that there was once a trail there. Everyone around me was oblivious to the fact that human harm had closed off an area that was once accessible. It was this moment that really made me wonder how aware I am of what goes on “behind the scenes.” Certain changes to nature are obvious, but this really made me double think about what isn’t. I find myself being guilty of passing by ropes thinking they are put in place to preserve the nature behind, not keep out the harm that has already occurred.
One thing that I am really learning through this experience is how to not only enjoy nature, but listen to it. Nature is smart. Weird thought, I know. But I find it to be more and more true as this journey continues. Nature will give the warning signs when boundaries are being crossed, and actions are being taken too far. I find I am putting myself in a different mindset entering the outdoors now. Rather than just looking at nature as something that brings me peace and joy, I also see it as something that is going to challenge me and teach me. There is so much more going on in the world around me than I sometimes fathom, and these experiences are opening my eyes up to this reality.
Kendra Allen