Day 2 - Thingviller National Park and Vaxa Farm

June 20, 2023 We started out the day by going to Thingvellir National Park, where our Icelandic tour guide led us on a 8 km hike and talked about Iceland (how Iceland was in the past, how it is today, etc..) along the way. We walked along the western part of the North American tectonic plate throughout our trip and saw some cool rock formations as well.

Before starting our hike, we stopped at a high point to view Iceland's largest lake:

Once we finished looking at the serene lake, we walked towards and entered the church where the Icelandic people used to go to. The church was built in mind to fit everyone living in that village. The materials used to make anything was reused if it could be, because the materials did not come from Iceland and it would be a waste to just throw them away. For example, in 1880 (correct if wrong), they took down the churches that were not needed, and reused the materials to build the church we visited today and the Guest House farther down. [insert sent photo of church interior] The painting in the far right was painted by a farmer living in the village at the time, showing the work of Jesus and his 12 disciples. After visiting the church, we walked for a while and stopped to try glacier water that is 25-500 years old. Many of us tried it, and Lauren rated it a 9/10, saying that it is, in fact, "good water!" Beth, our host, agrees and remarks that it "tastes watery".

Things died down for a while, with the fast hikers such as Jackson up front and the slower, casual hikers who talked to each other or tired leg hikers bringing up the rear. Once an hour or so has passed, we stopped and looked at the remains of a farm that used to be there.

We then briefly walked to our lunch point, the highest point on the hill/mountain we were on, and enjoyed our meal as the cold wind continously blew on our backs or faces. Some people were fast eaters, and decided to go further ahead, vanishing through some thickets. We eventually asked Alex to find them and have them return. [insert photos, ask for more, and ask if anyone has picture of Lukas sitting on some rocks like it's a lounge chair] We then descended, walking on a horse trail and crossing a street before we stopped and relaxed for a while at the waterfall.

After walking for a little longer, we stopped again and our tour guide [insert name] explained to us a brief history of Iceland, such as how they drowned convicted woman and beheaded convicted men, and how once someone is given a step up in power, that can lead to them testing that power out which would then result in a constant cycle of violence and bloodshed. This domino effect of violence continued on until [date], in which the Iceland people gradually adopted the Danish system and the government started regulating justicee/punishments for crimes. After the hike we visited Vaxa farm, and learned the sustainibilty the farm has on the planet. They use vertical farming systems, LEDs that are powered by green energy, 90% less water consumption, and longer shelf time in grocery stores compared to imported vegetables (greens such as lettuce, in this case), or vegetables grown on traditional farmland.

We will head off to participate in a Folk/Saga tour of Reykjavik that starts at 7:30 pm (GMT), but because the information we learn there will be way more complicated, it would be best to save the details for later and ask your child all about it once they return home :) By Jane Li

First Day in Icleand!

Despite today being our first day in Reykjavík, it feels like this trip has already been going on for a lot longer because of the time difference and lack of sleep. The main goal of the day was simply to stay awake. We started off yesterday afternoon at MSP airport, preparing for our flight, saying our last goodbyes to family, and taking our first group photo. Little did we know that it would be a long ride ahead before we'd see sleep again. Our red eye flight departed at 8pm and, after accounting for the five hour time difference, landed us in Iceland just before 7:00 in the morning. Some students were able to get some sleep on the plane, but others went without such luck. Either way, it goes without saying that we were all exhausted by the time we arrived to our first destination, about to embark on our first day abroad. We began by dropping off our luggage at the hostel before grabbing a quick breakfast and then catching the bus to Reykjavík. Two of us brought Nintendo Switches to Iceland, so many students took to playing Super Smash Bros during the bus ride. After arriving at our first destination of the day, the Whales of Iceland Museum, the fatigue set it hard. We got an amazing guided tour of the museum, which put a spotlight on the facility's life size models of all of the cetacian species around Iceland. However, it was evident that many of us were on the brink of sleep. After the guided tour, we were given some time to look around the museum. Personally, I took a 45-minute nap at a table in the cafe. Then, we watched a fascinating documentary about the impact of shipping and oil drilling in the ocean on cetacians because of how it affects their ability to use echolocation. Super interesting, but then again, we were all in a dark room with whale sounds playing so, try as I might, it turned into another hour long nap for me, like many other students.

Not to worry, though, as the outside chill quickly woke us all up. We made a quick stop at a local grocery store, where I purchased some delicious sushi, before walking to Reykjavík for lunch and a scavenger hunt. We split up into groups of five and explored the city in search of completing objectives such as finding a cat, certain monuments and statues, and more. Overall, it was super fun! My group decided to order pizza at a local restaurant before working our way through the scavenger hunt. Although we didn't win (not by a long shot) it was still a great way to get to know the city. We talked to many shop owners, saw the ocean, and ate some great food. When we finally got back to the hostel for the night, we got settled with our roommates and had some down time before dinner. Again, this included lots of Super Smash Bros. Then, we had our nightly check in and headed off to our rooms to get ready for bed. Tomorrow is another busy day, and I'm looking forward to it! by Sonia Lerner

An hour from takeoff

We are so excited, and just a little nervous. Our first group photo (of many to come).

Final Day of Classes and Only Two Days Until We Depart!

We wrapped up our pre-travel week and we're better for it, albeit exhausted and full. For five days we learned so much about so many challenging realities related to climate change, yet we also saw, again and again, inspiring examples of regular people doing awesome work to prevent and prepare for rising tempertatures and rising tides, and the consequences that will follow. We learned about teenagers in Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the U.S., to only name a few, who are devoting themselves to this urgent cause and are not only demanding change via protest, but being a part of the solution not only through personal behavior change, but more importantly, through organizing community-wide change, and in some cases global movements!. We learned that all of us can be and need to be "accelerators" in this important and urgent process of changing how we think about, invest in, develop policy around, and use energy, transportation, buildings, and agriculture.

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” — Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

Pre-Travel Week

During the week of June 12-16, the 20 students and three teachers worked together for six hours a day learning about solutions to climate change and sustainability strategies. As well we learned a little about Iceland and Amsterdam to prepare for our three week journey. We are so excited, and a little nervous!