Greetings from the liminal space that is Iceland.
I arrived here on a very auspicious day. August 21st, the day of the solar eclipse. To be frank, I wasn't sure I would actually make it here, to this land I've spent years romanticizing. I was convinced that traveling on such a celestially volatile day would surely pose some complications. Perhaps a tear in the space time continuum transporting me to another dimension, perhaps unpredictable turbulence causing the plane to dive into the Atlantic ocean.
Alas, I arrived. Here's photographic proof:
I have called Reykjavik my home for 4 months now. Why am I here in this magical land of pink mountains, green mosses, northern lights and lakkris lattes?
Grad School. And it's kicking my butt!
I'm almost done with my first semester in the University of Iceland’s Environment and Natural Resources master’s program. It's an international program with an interdisciplinary focus.
Iceland is striving to make natural resource conservation a priority. The country just elected Katrín Jakobsdóttir as the new Prime Minister. As a feminist and environmentalist, her platform includes minimizing gender inequality and focusing on sustainable development. Read more on her at the Iceland Monitor here: http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/politics_and_society/2017/11/30/meet_iceland_s_new_prime_minister/
The Environment and Natural Resources master’s program combines the expertise of natural sciences with the strength of social sciences in order to preserve and protect the environment. The interdisciplinary focus speaks to the complexities of how environmental and natural resources affect fundamental facets of society.
I took 5 classes this semester.
Sustainable Development, Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management: We helped RVK Brewery (a startup company soon to bring you craft beer) create a sustainability plan. And I dove into invasive species policy here in Iceland (that deserves a post of it's own).
Management of Protected Land Areas: We spent a week traveling around Vatnajokull National Park. It's the biggest wilderness area in Europe, a cool 5300 sq miles.
Ecology: We did some field work in Heidmork park near the city, the best place to pick blueberries in the summer months.
Environmental Science: We calculated the carbon sequestration rate of forests, maximum sustainable yields of the cod stock, the PM levels of Reykjavik and more.
Ethics of the Environment: A whole lot of philosophy. Ask me about rewilding and feminism.
So here I am, a transplant in Iceland. I'm missing my roots and community in Portland. Sometimes it's almost unbearable, but I'm grateful for all the beauty and kindness I've found.
I'm basking in winter's beauty. There's the particular hue to the light, a soft silvery shine on the Arctic tundra. There was the magic of the first snow that dusted the city in fluffy dreams. And the few hours of sunlight each day are always golden, as the sun lounges low on the horizon. Then night falls and there are whispers of green in the sky, the serpentine lights dancing in an aura of mystery. I know this is where I want to be. My soul is growing <3
