Above 63

After living there for 5 months last fall, a recent visit felt very comfortable–like home

I went back to Iceland in early May. My main reason was to attend presentations by my Fulbright colleagues who were completing full-year grants. I wanted to support their work—but I also just wanted to come back. I expected it to be a comfortable stay. What I underestimated was how much I truly like Reykjavik, and how at ease I feel there. I also saw how much more grounded my colleagues had become after four more months in the land of fire and ice.

I spent part of the trip reconnecting with Icelandic friends and faculty colleagues at Háskóli Íslands—some of whom are now taking on new roles. It was a joy to see them again, and to spend time with my fellow Fulbrighters from the fall, as well as meet those who had arrived in the spring. Their presentations were fantastic and if you want to check them out they are on YouTube on the Fulbright Iceland Channel.

I had expected Reykjavik to feel familiar—like returning to other cities where I’ve lived (Columbus, St. Paul, Lansing, etc.). Even after years away, those places feel like well-worn shoes. Changed storefronts or vanished buildings don’t erase that sense of ease.

Reykjavik had that feeling—but also something more. I hadn’t expected to miss so many of the small, daily things. I missed the grocery store and some of my favorite things like skyr, Þristur, (good) smoked salmon, and smoked lamb. I enjoyed shopping in stores that are built at a human scale rather than at the warehouse scale. I missed walking though neighborhoods to get places. I missed the fact that cars yield to pedestrians in almost all circumstances. Yes, I even missed scooter rides.

There’s a particular rhythm to life in Iceland that I had forgotten—especially in stores, restaurants, and cafés. It’s not slow exactly, but it is deliberate. I spent a lot of time alone on this visit, watching how people moved through space. Patrons weren’t rushed. Meals weren’t just for eating, but for spending time. Real plates, cups, and silverware were involved. I noticed this when I lived there—but I didn’t realize how much I missed it until I returned.

And then there were the cats.

I’m a dog person by nature, but Reykjavik’s cats are everywhere—and I had gotten to know some of them during my stay. It was oddly comforting to see them still “hanging out” in the same neighborhoods.

Then there was just the quiet beauty of Reykjavik. The weather was dark and rainy most of the time I was there, but in Iceland it doesn’t matter. You just go out in it and the light is still remarkable. Unlike the fall, I didn’t take a lot of photos of the city on this visit. I was gearing up for my trip north to Mývatn, Akureyri, Húsavík, and Laugarbakki. More about that trip in the next blog.

The thing about Iceland is that it is hard not to be in awe of the scenery. I was explaining this to friends the other night. There are some spectacular things to see in Iceland (waterfalls, mountains, fjords, glaciers, etc.). These are easy to recommend. However, I can also recommend the mundane or ordinary as well. This is because of the light. It comes in at an angle where the scenery “pops” in an unexpected way. Drab buildings can “light up” when the sun hits them. Even on dark and cloudy days–there is a tempered light that is amazing.

The one reality of visiting a place after living there is that you know that you are still a visitor. You used to work and live here. The people you know still have lives here, but you don’t. As sweet and comfortable the visit is, this isn’t home anymore–but it still felt good.