Hej!
The first week or so of classes has been a fantastic whirlwind of exploring new cities and trying to take in every glimpse of beauty and history that this study abroad experience provides! The course I’m taking, “The Power of Women in the Viking Age,” centers around several Viking Age sagas and focuses on understanding the role of women in these stories. While there are very few women in the sagas, the ones that are featured are incredibly strong and intelligent. It’s been fascinating to study the strength of the role of women in a society that was so patriarchal and praised brutality and masculinity.
On Saturday, we flew to Reykjavík for our Study Tour, which places us right in the heart of the sagas we’ve read so much about. Our days have been packed full of exploring historic sites and gorgeous landscapes by day and adventuring in the city by night. I say night, but the sun never fully sets here in June – you might get a nice orangey sunset, but then the sun just pops right back up! Good blinds and sleep masks are essentials, although it’s tempting to sacrifice your sleep for fun in the sun.
This nordic expedition has been such a great way for our class of 18 to get to know one another better. I’ve made some really close friends here and am so happy that I have them to share these incredible experiences!
With Iceland as our classroom, the opportunities are endless. So far, we’ve done horseback riding, whale watching, waterfall trekking, Geysir gawking, have eaten to our hearts content, and even experienced Iceland’s Independence Day! And so much more of course, but more on this in the next post.
In the meantime, I might try the fermented shark.
Vi Ses!