For our second overnight trip, we went to the west of Iceland, to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It was a very beautiful part of Iceland, especially with the ocean right below the cliffs. I think my favorite part was making the various stops to see different views of the North Atlantic waters. It reminded me of driving up and down the West Coast of America, with all the different turn offs just to get an amazing view of the massive and stunning body of water. I remember looking out to the big blue ocean on one stop, and just being in awe, as if I could never take in enough of what I was seeing. It made me feel so small in such a large world that is so beyond me. This humbling feeling is something I think is important to remember when working with and for the Earth: to remember it’s not all about me or humans, but it’s really about what we can do to benefit this great big planet that is our main support. Seeing this different side of Iceland was refreshing and also reaffirmed how lucky I am to be in such an incredible place.
Back at our hostel, I felt slightly overwhelmed by all the activity there and how many other people were staying there and cooking in that small kitchen. It was nice, however, to feel a little lost in the presence of strangers and new territory. And to contrast, our little group of students found a small corner in the hostel to have meetings, games, and late night chats and music sessions. I loved feeling safe in that corner with familiar people, watching unfamiliar people pass by us. Getting new exposure to other people was something I hadn’t noticed that I missed. At Solheimar, we see the same people and while this is not bad, I appreciated new faces and new voices and watching new routines. People watching is something I really enjoy about traveling and I’m glad I got to do so on this trip.
Besides the ocean views, I think what topped everything on the trip was walking up the small hill with the old lighthouse next to our hostel, called Súgandisey. The wind was cold and it was sprinkling just the slightest, the sun was just rising and the sky was still a dark quiet blue, but I felt exactly like the birds flying around me. I felt so free, like I could build a house right on that hill and never want to leave. I felt like a child, seeing the world for the first time. I don’t know what it was that truly captured me, but it might have been being away from many people, watching the ocean move from atop a cliff, and being at the same level as the birds flying above the ocean. I saw the ducks down below and I wondered if their day had just begun as well. This was one of the rare moments where I wasn’t thinking of anything and I felt like I belonged to nothing more than the magic of the universe.
Our West Iceland trip was jam-packed of stunning views and experiences and I hope to keep them in my heart to go back to as often as I want.
Sarah McCord