[NoHo Arts District, CA] – This month’s Active World Journeys’ travel blog: “ Interview with an Icelander.”
I have an upcoming Iceland Adventure I’m hosting and for the past few months I’ve been hand crafting an exciting and deep travel itinerary with my tour partner Anna who was born in and lives in Iceland. I asked Anna if I could do a short interview with her for my blog on what it was like to grow up in “the land of fire and ice” and give us a little more insight into the local way of life, unique foods & drinks, those pesky volcanoes erupting, tips for tourists, and more.
Which area of Iceland did you grow up in? What did your parents do for a living? Tell us about being a kid in Iceland.
I was born in the North, a town called Sauðarkrókur and lived there for the first couple of years of my life. Then my parents moved to Reykjavík and I grew up there, in the East part of the city, around 30-60 minutes’ walk from the city center. I used to travel a lot as a child, because my mother and stepfather were both teachers, so they got almost three months of summer vacation. We traveled all over the island each summer, with packed lunches and a tent in the trunk. We also rented summerhouses (which almost always come with a hot tub here in Iceland because we have plenty of warm water here), and sometimes we stayed in different accommodation as well, for example old farms and even a kindergarten in the middle of a forest in East Iceland that was rented out during summer. My father, who was a lawyer, always took me to the West fjords each summer as well, because his side of the family was from there, more specifically a small fishing town called Flateyri (which is, without a doubt, one of my very favorite places in Iceland). Growing up in Iceland was fun and safe – children here can play outside without any parental supervision from a very young age.
What did you do following high school? Tell us about being a young adult in Iceland.
After high school I worked for a year and saved up to buy my first apartment and went to the University of Iceland and did a bachelor’s degree in Sociology. After that I moved to Denmark for a couple of years and then returned to Iceland and did a diploma in International relations. When I finished my bachelor’s degree, the year was 2008 and we had just been hit by the financial crises, which made it hard for many to get a job after graduation since unemployment was higher than ever before and people were losing their jobs and houses. This played a big role in my decision to move to Denmark and stayed there during the hardest times. I enjoyed being a young adult in Iceland – college life was great and enjoyed every minute of it.
When did you decide that you wanted to be in the travel industry? Tell us about your first job(s) in the industry.
My first job in the traveling industry was some 13 years ago, while I was still in University, working in a warehouse worker for Icleandid Mountain guides; organizing and packing equipment and food for tours, mostly multi-day hiking tours. I worked there for two summers and then for 6 months in Skaftafell national park, organizing and selling glacier walks. I did not really plan on staying in the industry to be honest, but after I finished these three summers and was deciding on what to do next, I was offered a job as a sales manager for a super-jeep company and the rest is history. I have been organizing tours ever since, mostly in Reykjavík but also in Hvolsvöllur on the South Coast where I lived for a few years.
For someone planning a trip to Iceland, how would you describe the various times of year and the weather they can expect and how crowded it would be with other tourists during certain times?
A decade ago, the high-season here in Iceland was mainly the summer months, from May-September or so. That has changed a lot though, and now most operators offer tours all year round (with the exception that some are only possible in the summertime and others just in the winter), so we have a rather steady flow of visitors here throughout the year. Summers are still definitely the most popular time to visit Iceland, but the northern lights season (from mid-September until mid-April) is always rather popular, especially during mid-winter, from November-March or so, and Christmas and New Year’s Eve have also become one of the busiest times here in Iceland. Spring and Fall are usually my favorite seasons, not overcrowded, beautiful colors in the nature and rather mild weather (even though we usually have some rainy days as well). Summer is very bright and mild but definitely not as warm as around us, maybe 10-15 degrees (50-59F) most days, with some days reaching over 20 degrees (68F) and some down to around 5 degrees (41F). Winters here are dark and cold, but very cozy in my opinion – time for relaxing in a hot tub and admiring the northern lights (when conditions are favorable).
What are some typical food dishes and unique drinks in Iceland?
We have some strange food here, for sure! For example, shark and a sheep head (called “svið”). We also enjoy a bit more normal traditional food as well, for example smoked lamb and dried fish. Our best-known alcoholic drink is “brennivín” – which is very strong and often enjoyed with the shark. We also have quite a lot of beer breweries (at least per capita), which is a bit funny considering that beer was actually banned here in Iceland for years, between 1898 and 1935. For nonalcoholic drinks, we consume a lot of water, and many people consider the Icelandic tap water to be the best in the world! Many Icelanders also have a tablespoon of “lýsi” (fish oil) each day, because that is thought to contribute to good health and longer life.
Is it easy to get around Iceland if a traveler wanted to rent a car or take public transportation?
It is rather easy to get around in a rental car, both around the city and also in the countryside (in particular the South and South-East). It used to be a bit tricky to drive in some of the other parts (for example West and East Fjords), but the roads are gradually getting better, so people drive all around the country now, except the “off the beaten path” roads (so called F-roads), which is more suitable for 4×4 and, in many cases, also certified guides on modified vehicles. Public transportation is not great here to be honest – we don’t have any trains or anything like that, only buses (and even they are not very frequent compared to most countries), so most people here have cars, sometimes a few cars per family.
Is Iceland an environmentally friendly country?
It depends on how you look at it, but overall, I would say that Iceland is an environmental country. One of the main reasons is the development of renewable energy, which places us in the forefront worldwide. Iceland also has an abundance of freshwater resources, which are all in pristine condition and water in rivers and lakes are among the cleanest in the world. Iceland also focuses a significance of importance on fishing methods that are environmentally friendly. Also, Iceland has spent a lot of effort toward the preservation of its natural environment, for example the government has developed many national parks and nature reserves. The majority of Icelanders have a healthy respect for the natural world and actively participate in ecologically responsible behavior and generally place a high value on environmentally responsible practices (recycling, electric automobiles etc.). Despite all this, Iceland, like any other country, is concerned with their own unique set of environmental challenges. For example, the rise of tourism has resulted in some increased strain in some particularly delicate places. Another problem is that Icelanders have not been successful in organizing rubbish recycling programs, resulting in a significant portion of the garbage that is produced in Iceland is exported to other nations in an attempt to repurpose the material.
Do Americans need a visa to visit Iceland?
US citizens may enter Iceland for up to 90 days without a visa (for tourist or business purposes).
How much do erupting volcanoes disrupt daily life in Iceland?
Erupting volcanoes do not affect daily life in Iceland nearly as much as many people think. The volcano in Eyjafjajjajökull in 2010 was the one that affected daily lives the most in recent history, mostly because it affected air traffic all around the world, and we had a thick, black cloud over the South region for months afterwards, resulting in many farmers losing their harvest and animals. Other previous eruptions have resulted in people losing their homes, for example the one in Heimaey (Westman islands) in 1973 as well as the ongoing eruptions now, that resulted in people in the town of Grindavík losing their homes and livelihood. For people elsewhere in Iceland, life goes on as normal for the most parts.
What are you most proud of being an Icelander?
I think in general; Icelanders are very proud of their country. We are proud of our nature and Viking inheritance. I love showing foreign friends my country and the contrast and uniqueness in our stunning nature. Also, I (and most other Islanders alike) am proud of our cohesion when times are tough, for example when facing natural- and economic disasters. In such situations, people come together and unite as a whole.
If Iceland is one of your once-in-a-lifetime travel goals, there are still a few spots left for the Amazing Iceland Tour in September this year. Come along with us and discover this country of extreme contrasts and dramatic landscapes. And just maybe you’ll get to meet Anna too!
Cheers,
Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
“Get Fit with Witt”
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Amazing Iceland Tour – September 16-23, 2024 – Click here