Living in Texas my whole life, I knew that coming to Iceland would be a little different than back home. Upon getting out of the airport, my initial thought was, “Will it always be this cold and windy?” After a week, I determined that to be true along with lots of rain as well. I was nervous about what I was going to eat because I am not the most adventurous eater but found plenty of places to eat that have all been very good and also passed a Taco Bell, Subway, and KFC. My one regret so far is not bringing waterproof pants. I brought the waterproof jacket but did not think about bringing pants to ward off the rain and man did I pay the price for that. I spent several days getting wet at 9 in the morning and then having to spend the rest of the tour in soaking-wet pants.
The main difference in culture here and in the United States is the relaxedness of the people. I do not believe I have gotten a “no” while walking around the city. There is not a big of a rush when doing things, especially eating out. I work in fast food and we prioritize getting food out in under 2 minutes, while over here a sit-down meal will take up at least an hour regardless of where you go. It is a big change of pace for me personally.
I hope to come back from this trip with a better understanding of how to be sustainable, not only with consumption but in my life as well. There are 17 sustainable goals determined by the United Nations, and many of them are not related to food consumption as everyone thinks. For instance, there is a goal to have gender equality or reduced inequalities. Any change I can make in my life is a small one, but as long as I do change for the better it would be worth it. You need to start small to make a big impact.