Esjan

Congratulations Iceland, I Have Arrived

I am now officially in Iceland. After a subway, plane, bus and taxi ride I have arrived. I’ve spent the last two days getting settled and fighting off a lovely case of jet lag. The hard thing is that there is 24 hour light here and it makes it ten times to harder to force oneself to go to sleep.

Yesterday was absolutely gorgeous, with beautiful sunlight and a warm wind, but today it is rainy. Classes start on Monday, so I have the weekend to have a bit of fun and shake off this internal clock thing.

Summer Solstice

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. Twice a year a miracle occurs and today is one of those days. An egg will balance on its end. My friend Amy Jo gave me the tip and I managed to do it. She says it has something to do with the axis of rotation. My sister says its witchcraft. Either way its impressive. Try to do it today, because you won't get another chance for another six months.

Photos courtesy of Ulla Kjarval
Amazing Tip courtesy of Amy Jo Gowan

Back Home and Off Again

Today I've officially been home for a month. I've re-adjusted, seen my friends and family, and enjoyed everything I love about home. I've eaten my fair share of Mexican and Chinese food, enjoyed the long aisles of Wal Marts and other super stores, shopped at malls and relished in the fact that I am again buying things in dollars, no poor terrible exchange rate for me. Yet just as I've re-adjusted, I'm off again. In exactly one week I shall leave home for Iceland, where I shall attempt to learn Icelandic. My sister and I will spend 4 weeks learning basic conversational skills as well as connecting to Iceland in our own ways.

The great thing about London was the fact that it was totally new to me. I stepped off the plane by myself (well I guess with lots of other NYU kids) without any of my family and into a place that I could map out for myself. The nice thing about Iceland will be the fact that I'm already connected to it. I've been there several times, have lots of family there and I am Icelandic. This time I'll be mapping out something that is already a part of me. It will be a new adventure as I try to understand the country that my family comes from and try to connect to it in my own way.

So in the next week, as I repeat the steps I took 5 months ago to prepare myself to leave home, I'll think about what this new journey will do for me and what I'll learn. Buttercup will keep traveling, so tune in.

Things that I learned/learned to love in London

Excellent Words for Everyday Conversation
Lovely – an excellent way of describing something that was pleasant and nice, “it was lovely”
Brilliant – a great new slang, meaning “amazing,” “great,” even “cool” “Brilliant!”
Cheers – meaning simply thanks, as in after somebody hands you something “cheers”

Pubs
Pubs are amazing for their pints of lager, bitter or stout, and their laid back atmosphere that allows you to simply chill with your mates and have a lovely time. Pub food is also a plus, with fish and chips, bangers and mash, and pies (of the meat kind)!

Double Decker Buses and the #15 Bus in Particular
Buses are an excellent way to see London and to really get a feel of the city. While the tube is a lot faster, the bus is a bargain at only 80 pence with your oyster card, and gives you an amazing view and an actual sense of where you are going.

The #15 Bus was my favorite, as it went from right outside my door all the way to Tower Bridge and The Tower of London, weaving its way through Oxford and Piccadilly Circuses, Trafalgar Square and down The Strand. Gosh I miss it.


As the days pass and I readjust to being home, I begin to miss all the little things about London, the things that made everyday life a little more exciting. But I’m home now and those four months were amazing. So Cheers to London. Drink up!