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Iceland
  • Maria Collins
May 2019

Iceland

May - June 2019 Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 13, 2019
    Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Day One!

    May 14, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    1) The first day of our trip consisted of traveling from Colby, KS to Denver, CO to Reykjavík, Iceland! When we stepped off the plane in Keflavík at the airport, it was a bitter awakening with cold wind and rain in our faces but our excitement was so great I didn’t mind too much!Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Hallgrimskirkja

    May 15, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    2) Hallgrimskirkja is one of the most iconic churches in Iceland, and it was right down the road from our air b&b at our stay in Reykjavik. The church is Lutheran which is the national church of Iceland every Icelander is born into.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Exploring Reykjavík

    May 15, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    3) On our first day in Reykjavík, we took a walking tour of the city where we saw many beautiful murals. Street art and graffiti were everywhere; It was very neat to see these creations in person as we had seen many of them before in photos during class.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Icelandic Book Store

    May 15, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 9 °C

    4) What about being in Iceland is a new experience for you?

    Never have I visited a country where English was not the first language spoken. Being in Iceland, the primary language of most people is Icelandic. This language is a very old one—with Nordic roots. The language has not evolved much over time as the country is an island fairly isolated from the rest of the world. Before traveling, I considered how successful communicating with foreigners would be. My expectations were that it would be difficult because I did not know very much Icelandic besides a few words such as ‘yes,’ ‘no,’ and ‘bathroom.’ However, upon my arrival in this country, I discovered the language barrier would not be as large of a problem as I had anticipated. Most of the people I encountered in Iceland spoke English, as well as Icelandic. Thus, once they understood I was a tourist who did not speak their language, they quickly changed their dialogue to English and the conversation was able to ensue. Only a few instances occurred where I or the person I was in conversation with struggled to understand each other even while speaking English. Usually, we were just using different words to describe specific items and we had to search our vocabularies for the right word/s to say what we were attempting to communicate. One instance I truly encountered the difference in language was at a used bookstore in Reykjavík. Many of the books were in Icelandic, but I recognized a few because of their cover or by using context clues to deduce that their title was one of a book I had previously read in English (e.g. the book in this photo is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien). There were a few books, however, that were in English—I think this just shows the versatility the people of Iceland have with different languages. I admire this quality and hope I can one day become at least bilingual.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    The Symphony

    May 16, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    5) Today I had the opportunity to listen to the Icelandic symphony at the Harpa Building, the music hall in Reykjavík. The music was beautiful and it was amazing to see how universal the language of music is... the conductor switched back and forth between English and Icelandic but many of the words for different music terms were the same in both languages.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Meet Us Don't Eat Us!

    May 16, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    6) Write about one Icelandic leader you have met: introduce him or her, describe the parts of the leadership system in relation to him or her.

    At our “Meet Us Don’t Eat Us” service work, we met Marvin (far right). He was one of the leaders of the campaign who advocated for the whales in the waters of Iceland. His job was under human resources and he worked directly with tourists, recruiting some to help increase awareness of the campaign and urging others to sign the petition. His goal was to inform tourists that eating whale meat is not an Icelandic tradition and one should not participate in this activity, as it is harmful to the environment. In his leadership system, he was the leader and his followers were the tourists he recruited. Their relationship was often one that was brief but both positive and fulfilling. Marvin and his followers were dedicated to the improvement of Iceland’s economy and natural resources. They wanted what was best for the whales and the people of Iceland. The context surrounding this system was that Iceland is only one of two countries left in the world that allows commercial whaling. Iceland’s economy also relies heavily upon the tourist industry and so there is a heavy tourist presence around the whales and many tourists are misinformed on the information surrounding whaling. The positive change this system is bringing about is increasing awareness about the damage whaling causes on Iceland’s economy and the whales directly. Their ultimate goal is to make commercial whaling illegal in the country.

    Describe one act of a servant leader that you have witnessed in Iceland

    Marvin, as mentioned above, was not only just a leader we met in Iceland but also a servant leader. When we began petitioning, he taught us the best way to be persuasive with the tourists and then trusted us to go out on our own and communicate. He gave us the opportunity to work with the tourists and experiment with different techniques, even though he was the most qualified at the task. When we finished, he put the spotlight on us, praising us for a job well done and lifting up our small achievements. His humility and positive attitude truly stuck out to me as important behaviors of a servant leader.    Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    "Challenging the Process"

    May 16, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    7) What are you hoping to learn about yourself as a leader on this trip?

    Throughout my freshman year, I have studied the five leadership practices one should implement into their daily routine to be an exemplary leader. Recently the members of our leadership team conducted tests to discover which of the practices was our weakest. In my leadership inventory, my weakest practice was “Challenging the Process.” As a leader, I tend to shy away from new ideas and the unknown—I am usually not a risk taker and generally choose the course of action that I know will work, instead of inventing new ideas to experiment with. While in Iceland, I had several opportunities to try new things and take initiative in activities. On the trip, I hoped to learn to recognize the times when I fail to seize the opportunity to experiment and the best way to push myself to take those risks that present themselves. One important activity that challenged me was advocating for whales and approaching tourists to talk with them about whaling. Then we had to use our persuasion skills to urge the tourists to sign the petition. I discovered that when I had the support of my friends with me, I was more likely to take a risk because I knew they would have my back if something went wrong. However, when I had to convince the tourist myself, I was more likely to retreat and avoid the situation altogether. Another tendency I noticed was that being unprepared in situations created higher feelings of anxiety about taking initiative, as I did not feel qualified to speak on the subject matter. I did not have much time to prepare what I wanted to say to the tourists because I was not well educated about whaling—I had just learned about the industry several hours before. Yet, pushing through those feelings and getting the job done allowed me to see the success of our group. In the picture, my team posed after successfully convincing five tourists to sign the petition. Working together as a team allowed me to feel more confident in uncertainty, but I will not always have this luxury. Thus, it would be beneficial for me to practice being placed in impromptu situations so I can learn how to manage the feelings that arise when I feel vulnerable, as many of the times those feelings are the only obstacle holding me back.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Keeping Up the Energy!!!

    May 17, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    9) In Iceland, coffee and tea are included with every meal; however, I found that all the sightseeing and service work we were completing still had me exhausted. On a day in Reykjavik, we visited the University of Iceland and discovered these delicious Swiss energy drinks. Unfortunately, I won't be able to find these drinks in the States so I will enjoy them now while I can.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Brushing the Goats

    May 19, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    10) Upon arriving at the petting zoo, we were all given various assignments and chores to do. One of my favorite tasks was brushing the cashmere off the goats. It was definitely harder than I anticipated and we all had a good time chasing and holding down the rowdy goats.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Service Work in Iceland Part 2!

    May 20, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    11) What about the service experiences is different than the service we do on the team at home?

    Service work conducted in Iceland compared to service work in Winfield, Kansas is superficially similar. In both places, we do various tasks such as cleaning or repairing structures to help individuals or organizations in need. However, after close examination one obvious difference arises. At home, the people we are doing the service work for generally live in our community and we often see the impact of our work right away or over the following weeks as we drive by the sites where we were working. Differently, in Iceland, we were only conducting service at the sites for a couple of days and then we left with the idea that we would most likely never directly encounter that community again. One would generally assume that it would be harder to foster a connection to the work we were conducting but at both Daladýrđ and the “Meet Us Don’t Eat Us” service, our leaders took this into consideration and took extra effort to close this bridge so I almost felt I was making more of a difference in the work I was doing for the people in Iceland than I do at some of the service projects at home. This picture is of me carrying a kid (baby goat) out to the playground we built for Beggy and his family to celebrate the work we did at their petting zoo, which was one way they helped us feel the impact of our hard work.

    Kouzes and Posner suggest exemplary leaders should “treat every job as an adventure.” What have you learned about how to do this on this trip?

    In our service work at Daladýrđ, there were several aspects of this job that felt more like exciting opportunities than work. Using the job to learn as much as I could about the family we were working for and their home and livelihood made the experience more fulfilling and exciting than just mindless work. Learning to celebrate and have fun while doing work or on breaks was also crucial to enjoying the experience. Beggy exemplified this well when we would take breaks for Lolli-waffles or play with the animals. Having a positive mindset allows one to have a better experience with any job and many times, it does feel like an adventure.    Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Making Connections

    May 20, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 3 °C

    12) What kind of influence will this trip have on you as a leader?

    Before traveling to Iceland, I had little to no exposure to life outside the United States. I had not traveled internationally so I did not know what to expect or how to manage all these new experiences. It was a whirlwind of new: new foods, a new language, new culture, new landscapes, new currency, new activities. Many times I felt overwhelmed by all of these foreign experiences, and I longed for a small taste of home. For the most part, though, I felt like a sponge: I tried to soak up as much information and details as I could about the country and its people. There was so much I had never been exposed to, like the fact that some children know four more languages than I did at the age of nine, or the fact that tea and coffee were served with every, single, meal (not just for breakfast). Understanding that there are people around the world that have completely different lifestyles than I do is important when leading a group of people. Deepening one’s sense of variation and building awareness of differences allows one to have empathy for their followers. By realizing not every person’s experiences are the same, the mind of a leader is broadened so they can better understand how to work cohesively with others. An important aspect of building awareness is recognizing the varied values of others and what motivates or inspires them. Experiencing a different culture firsthand instead of just reading or researching it allowed me as a leader to be more open to new ideas, new customs, new traditions. Before meeting Beggy at Daladýrđ, I would have never completely understood the importance of completing a task correctly because the livelihood of him and his family depended upon that project withstanding time and nature. Now, as a leader, I have a broader view of the world and the daily lives of the people living in it, increasing my ability to build stronger connections and relationships with those surrounding me.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Mývatn Nature Baths

    May 20, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 4 °C

    13) Iceland has several geothermal hot springs where tourists can swim and experience the pleasure of an outdoor pool in Iceland. We stopped at the Mývatn Nature Baths and relaxed for a couple of hours after a long day of work and travel.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Music and Nature

    May 21, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 9 °C

    14) In regards to the Icelandic leader that you researched, what did you learn while we were in the country that helped you understand him or her in more depth?

    The Icelandic leader I researched was Björk, a popular Icelandic musician. The goal of several of her albums was to increase awareness for the beautiful geography of Iceland, such as the mountains, volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, fjords, bays, and more. Much of Björk’s inspiration for the music she created came from the landscape she grew up around in Iceland. Prior to visiting the country, I was able to look at pictures to see why Björk was so passionate about the environment; however, the pictures did not completely capture the total experience of visiting the island and seeing all the landmasses for myself. While traveling throughout Iceland, I was able to view many different landscapes and geographical land masses—all of which make the country beautiful to view. It was breathtaking and I gained a better understanding of why Björk was so inspired by the landscape. I understood more completely why she would advocate for protecting the beauty around her, as it was truly unique and it would be a tragedy to see it destroyed by harsh, gray factories creating pollution. The environmentalist movement was an important piece of the context surrounding Björk and her actions as a leader. The movement impacted many of her values, such as a love for nature and music, and the education of the people of Iceland. Thus, her actions as a leader reciprocated these strong feelings and beliefs, demonstrated when she created several albums surrounding the environment, or when she publicly supported or disagreed with organizations making changes in the geography of Iceland.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    On the Coast

    May 21, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    15) The next stop on our timeline was in Seyðisfjörður, where we did service work for the Blue Church and a nearby cemetery. The town itself was tiny and beautiful, as it was nestled in a valley right next to the ocean. Coming to and from Seyðisfjörður we had to take a treacherous mountain road; however, I think this was one of my favorite parts of the trip because the scenery was so beautiful while driving (when it wasn't covered by dense fog).Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    (Water)falling for Iceland

    May 22, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    16) The second day of our service in Seyðisfjörður, the caretaker of the nearby cemetery took a small group of us outside the town to hike to a few waterfalls. I hiked as close as I could to the waterfalls and it was absolutely gorgeous. Talking with our guide was difficult at times due to the language barrier but it had improved significantly over the few days we were with him as he shared with us stories about his personal life.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Beach Day!

    May 22, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    17) We stopped at several black sand beaches on our way to our final destination in Iceland. There were "diamonds" on several of the beaches as pieces of glaciers broke off and washed ashore; however, one lucky ship got a real diamond as well!Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Context and Culture

    May 24, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    20) In regards to the contextual factors, talk about one and what you learned while we were in the country that helped you understand that factor in more depth?

    The economy of Iceland is a huge contextual factor when viewing leadership and the country itself. Iceland had an economic collapse in 2008 that affected virtually everyone in the country. Banks and businesses were going bankrupt and many struggled financially. The boom of the tourist industry in Iceland helped the country recover. I did not realize prior to visiting the country that tourism is the main source of income for the country now. I assumed fishing was still the largest industry. Staying in Reykjavík allowed me to see how many stores and businesses rely heavily on tourists for profit, as there are streets upon streets of stores for tourists to buy t-shirts, sweaters, hats, and more. The increase in tourism also explains one reason for why so many Icelanders speak English fluently, as the shop keepers interact with tourists every single day and practice speaking the language often.

    In regards to the culture factors, talk about one and what you learned while we were in the country that helped you understand that factor in more depth?

    Food and the nutritional diet of a typical Icelander were very interesting to note while visiting the country. Prior to traveling, I understood that there was much more fish in the diet than I was used to, but I did not realize how utterly different the cuisine was. When we visited the grocery store, beef and chicken—which are staples in the American diet—were limited in availability and the prices were quite expensive. Instead, I was able to try many different fish options which were all unique and some were tastier than others. I also did not realize how popular lamb was in their diet. It was quite common to find lamb on a restaurant menu; yet, this factor makes sense as sheep are common livestock in the country. Many of the fresh fruits and vegetables in Iceland are imported into the country due to the difficulty of growing them in the harsh environment; however, upon visiting the Friđheimar, we learned that some produce is grown with greenhouse technology. Tomatoes grown in the Friđheimar tasted just like tomatoes we have in America but they were fresher and local, as they were grown right there in the restaurant. It was a unique opportunity to experience Icelandic cuisine and note the stark differences between it and American cuisine.    Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Gullfoss

    May 24, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    21) The last waterfall we saw was Gullfoss, a very long and powerful waterfall about five minutes from Geysir Hestar. Viewing the waterfall was an especially exciting moment because we had learned much about Sigridur Tomasdottir (the lady who saved the waterfall from being destroyed) in class.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Kerid Crater

    May 26, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    24) On our way back to the airport, we stopped at the Kerid Crater, an old volcano that collapsed inwards. Iceland has many active volcanoes and while in the country, I had the opportunity to visit the Lava Center where I was able to learn more about the history of the volcanic activity in Iceland.Read more

  • Maria CollinsIcelandTraveler

    Ships Docking

    May 27, 2019 in Iceland ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    25) We completed our trip to Iceland by heading back where it all began, the Keflavik Airport. Throughout our travel, we took the Ring Road, which encompasses the entire island and connects many major landmarks to a single route. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and I will greatly miss the beautiful 'Land of Fire and Ice.'Read more

    Trip end
    May 27, 2019
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