As I stood below the Sùlur mountains of Akureyri, I felt the cold breeze and appreciated how the fresh air smelled and felt in my lungs. Even in mid-summer, the high mountains were white-capped despite there being no snow on the ground. I could see why our tour director, Illugi, referred to the beautiful landscapes of Iceland as “God’s country.”
On my eight-day trip this July with 15 other students from the Housatonic Valley Regional High School International Travel Club, I learned that most of the land is untouchable as it is made up of geothermal hot spots such as volcanoes, mud pots and natural lagoons.
Every part of the country is beautiful in its own way. We swam in the bright blue Mývatn Natural Baths, hiked to the top of Grábrók Crater, stood where two tectonic plates meet at Þingvellir National Park, fished for cod (the fishing industry is still immensely important to the country’s economy) and learned about biodiversity and climate change from a University of Akureyri oceanographer.
Students on a whale watch excursion. Provided
We also experienced whale-watching on the north side of the country in the beautifully teal-colored Arctic ocean. There’s something about the moment of sitting on the boat, watching humpback and beluga whales flip around giving a show, that goes unmatched. It’s something everyone should be able to feel.
During relaxing hours, my friends and I did not relax – because why would you when there are quaint towns to explore and scooters to ride? We will always remember riding scooters down the streets of Akureyri in the midnight sun.
Every part of Iceland is unique and lovely. Anyone who gets the chance to step foot on their preserved land soon realizes how special the country is.
The HVRHS International Travel Club thanks Northwest Corner: Students Without Borders and the 21st Century Fund for supporting this trip. The annual fundraiser, the Wine Dinner and Auction, is at the White Hart in Salisbury on Friday, Sept. 13 at 6:30 p.m. and raises funds for the club’s 2025 trips to Italy/Germany and to Thailand. For more information, visit winedinnerandauction.com.
Still from “Once Upon a Time in Ukraine” depicting a coffin designed for a child being lowered into the ground.Krista A. Briggs
Anastasia Rab of Razom for Ukraine, a nonprofit advocacy organization, fields questions from the audience alongside filmmaker Polina Buchak. Anastasia and Polina are both Ukrainian natives now living and working in the United States.Krista A. Briggs
Students from Housatonic Valley Regional High School spent eight days in Iceland in July and are pictured above at the Godafoss waterfall.