At the end of the spring semester, I had the opportunity to go on a two-week study abroad to Iceland. It was a mixture of visiting businesses and adventures that allowed us to explore various areas of Iceland. The thing that stood out to me the most in Iceland was the culture, healthier foods, and traditions. Even though the food options in grocery stores and restaurants were much healthier, it all still tasted great and had plenty of flavors. Icelanders are laid back, welcoming, and content. It did not matter if I was shopping at a retail store, shopping at a grocery store, walking down the street, or dining at a restaurant, everyone was very friendly and never appeared to be in a hurry. If we were standing on the side of the road waiting to cross, the cars that were coming would stop to allow us to cross the street which is so different than the U.S. While out and about in the city, everyone was always willing to answer any questions we had about their lifestyle, foods, and culture in general. When speaking to some of the native Icelanders, we always got a sense of contentment and appreciation for what they have. In the U.S. we are always in a hurry and always trying to find a way to get the next best thing in life, we are never content with what we have, we are always striving to get more. In Iceland, they make life fun, it was so neat to hear the many stories that involved trolls and elves and learn about the various Christmas traditions. Through this experience, I have been able to see and understand things I did not even realize existed and that I never could have imagined. Although we do not have many of the resources that Iceland has, there are many areas that we can learn from them.
