Coming to Iceland, I was expecting to be struck by norms that are not common in the United States. Upon arriving and meeting a plethora of Icelandic people, I found that some of the expectations I had were inaccurate. Some ideas I had before arriving in Iceland, that I was bracing myself for, was a language barrier, being loud and having strict schedules while abroad. In reality, it was the complete opposite. After living in the COVID-19 pandemic, I was expecting there to be major regulations that would impede social interaction and domestic travel in Iceland. This expectation was also incorrect, as we were still able to do the Golden Circle, stay with host families, and go to the Arctic Circle Conference. That being said, there are still restrictions and safety precautions that we have to follow, but not as strict as the United States due to their small size and their quick response to the pandemic. An experience I had that can best show these predictions I had before being immersed in Iceland was going to one of the small Malls in Reykjavik at a fair-trade sewing store. Going up to the counter with my new needles, I said “hæ” as she was ringing me up and in turn, she responded in Icelandic. In which I responded, “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Icelandic”. Upon hearing that, she smiled and immediately switched to English to speak with me. It was such a smooth transition and she made me feel like I was being heard, without her even having to think about it too much. Being able to go shopping and not having to worry about fluently speaking Icelandic, made me feel much more relaxed and comfortable about being in a foreign country for such a long period of time. It was a great experience and helped push me to learn more about the language to show my gratitude and willingness to learn about their culture.
