Throughout my time in Iceland I can almost say that I’ve changed a certain part of how I live my life for the better. Back in Boston, my hometown, I lived from activity to activity to fill my time. It was much more fast paced than my lifestyle here in Sólheimar. I’ve always had time to appreciate the occasional sunset over the city skyline or by the Charles River, but I never actually thought about why. Heading into this program, and something about totally immersing myself into a group full of the opposite sex in an unknown country made me anxious, I was scared to start my journey abroad.
The getting-to-know-you conversations and small talk went per usual and smoother than I could have imagined, and with all that aside I could enjoy my time here fully. Except it was just recently that I learned how to appreciate the littlest of things. One night, a few of us from the CELL group along with a couple interns decided to hit up the “gym” where morning meetings are held and played a variety of games with some misfit sport toys, which was filled of fun all in its own. But after that had ended we sat and I was getting antsy to get back and shower from all the sweat that had been perspired. A student had an idea to turn on a disco ball that was hanging above the performance stage also in the vicinity. Not too fond of the idea, I offered to head back home without much response, so we turned off all overhead lights and let the colorful disco ball spin as a (very) unprofessional piano player set the mood. Being mesmerized by the spinning colorful squares coming in and out of focus up against the square shaped wall for a few minutes was when it hit me. That totally immersing yourself and letting all tensions, anxieties, problems you may have had or will have, is how you enjoy the littlest of things in any situation. Even for a second, dropping everything and really taking in your surrounding for that second of peace is well worth it and I figured, should be done more often, so why not begin making a habit of it in Iceland?
Takk! -Spencer