I have now lived in Iceland for three months! Lately I have found myself thinking about the small moments of joy that I find in each day, that are so unique to my life here. So, here's a small peak of the little things that make me happy (in no particular order):
1. Cats - Reykjavík is known for it's cats, and it is not uncommon to walk into a shop and find a cat sleeping on a blanket or sitting beside the door. Cats will often visit neighboring shops and people that work in the city center greet them by name. When my parents came to visit, their hotel had two resident cats that would hang out in the lobby. There is also a cat cafe in the city center, but I am saving that for when my bestie visits me here.
2. My commute to class - My bus ride to and from class takes me past the city center, the National Gallery, city hall, Tjörnin (the city pond), and the office of the President. Every time I ride the bus I am reminded how gorgeous the city is, and how happy I am to be here.
3. Architecture and city art - I am surrounded by gorgeous buildings. I see Harpa, Hallgrímskirkja, and the rainbow road everyday. There are neighborhoods of grand houses and embassy buildings, and neighborhoods with smaller houses painted red or bright blue next to quirky local coffee houses and shops. Many buildings here have small architectural details that adds a little bit of Viking or medieval flair. There are small pocket sculpture gardens and huge wall murals all over. I feel like I am surrounded by art and beauty.
4. Pastries - I can't go more than half a block without finding a place to get an amazing pastry. Even the little cafeteria on campus has great pastries. It's become normal for me to have a pastry several times a week, while I would almost never have pastries back at home. It's probably a good thing that I don't have a car here and walk almost everywhere!
5. Open windows and curtains - At least 1 or 2 windows in my apartment are always open. Partly because I have no way to let off steam from my cooking or showers, and partly to let in the fresh salt air. I love listening to the rain (which is what I am doing right now) and even the wind. During the day I have my curtains open to let in as much natural light as I can, especially now that we have so few hours of daylight. I like to lay in bed and read or work on my computer and watch the cloud roll past. Because it costs almost nothing to heat my apartment, thanks to geothermal energy, I can have the windows open to let in fresh air and turn up the heater if it starts to get cold.
6. The kindness of Icelanders - This is the biggest one! I have had so many little acts of kindness from Icelanders. The guy who owned my Airbnb borrowed a car to help me get all my luggage from his place to the car rental place, without me even asking for help. A woman in the parking garage stopped to help me with my luggage and drove me to my hotel because the elevator was broken. A woman staying at the same hotel as my parents and I in Akureyri helped me with a website that was all in Icelandic, and then sat with us and gave us travel tips. Shop workers and cashiers have volunteered to let me practice speaking Icelandic with them, and have been incredibly patient as I struggle my way through a very difficult language. I have had so many little moments that have made me feel so welcome, and they really helped me on days that were tough. It has been so appreciated!
Here's to finding those small moments of joy, whenever you can!
Krista
So glad you are finding welcome and joy! A beautiful city, gorgeous scenery all around! See you soon!
Great post that makes me miss my second home!! I remember when I first started staying there several years ago, and my friends whose place I stay in told me the windows were cracked and that it was an “Icelandic thing” to always have them that way because they liked fresh air :)
Wonderfully written!
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