One of the main takeaways I had from the trip is the relaxed and easygoing personalities of many of the people living in Iceland. I tend to be a very calm person and do not get upset about the small things in life, so I really enjoyed this new environment. American culture is much more fast paste and speed is a key factor for most businesses. It is not like that in any of the businesses I went into during my time in the city and countryside of Iceland. I hope to take the relaxed, slow-paced vibe back with me, and incorporate it even more into my lifestyle. I do not like to stress about many things in life and live with the mentality that whatever happens is meant to happen. I learned Icelanders have a similar mentality, and live by the saying that everything is going to work out how it should.
The top priority for Icelanders is not money. It appeared to me that many people work so they have something to do and do not necessarily focus on how much money they are making. It was also very interesting to me that the people in Iceland do not use pronouns such as doctor. They view everyone on the same level. The American business culture is much different in that many people choose their occupation based on the amount of money they are going to make, and not based on their passions.
Another really big takeaway I had from this trip was the trust in the Icelandic culture. All the restaurants we ate at while in Iceland had us pay at the bar or at the hostess stand of the restaurant, and had us tell them what we had to eat and drink. They live based on the honor system. They trust that we are going to pay for our meal, and the correct amount for everything we ordered. I also saw children walking down the streets all alone on many occasions. Parents do not have to worry about crime hardly at all in Iceland. My parents would have never let me walk around by myself as a child, not even in our own neighborhood which is pretty safe. It really made me think about the value and ethical viewpoints of people in this world. The people of Iceland know what is right, and have respect for their selves and their country. Of course, there are good and bad people everywhere you go, but it is sad to me that we see much more crime and dishonesty in America.
