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We all know the saying that the pasture isn’t always greener on the other side, well here in Iceland the sky sure is greener!

My favorite waterfall Gljufrabui in South Iceland. It is a bit of a secret waterfall hidden in a cave near the very popular waterfall Seljalandsfoss

I have been able to witness the Northern Lights on many occasions in Reykjavik – even from my bedroom window! So far this amazing opportunity has been everything I could have imagined plus so much more. In case you missed the first article posted back in September– I am living in Iceland for six months through an internship funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Agriculture and Department of Fisheries in collaboration with Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture and the Embassy of Canada in Iceland. Let me get you up to speed with what I am doing here in Iceland with a few highlights from work and personal experiences.

Through traveling to some different companies, meeting with different business people, browsing in stores and farmer’s markets, and talking with locals I have been completely blown away by the impressive innovation that is taking place in Iceland. The first time I had a “wow” moment was during Cod Days at the Ocean Cluster in Reykjavik. This is a place where all kinds of businesses related to the fishing industry can rent a small office space. The building is equipped with meeting spaces and really encourages partnerships and collaboration between the various companies. They seem to have a good understanding that every business has its strengths and by working together great innovation and advancements can occur. For example, Iceland is very impressive with their utilization of the cod and are almost reaching 100% use of the entire fish. The products they make from what used to be waste is more valuable than the actual fillets which I think is very impressive.

Trying new things when I am in a new country is important to me. One day I was offered dried cod, a favorite snack of Icelanders. I like fish and beef jerky so I figured I would like it. Wrong – it was so bland and dry, hardly palatable. Icelanders eat it with butter, so I suggested trying it with maple butter to give it some flavor. This was the beginning of the running joke in the office with me being the maple syrup obsessed Canadian. The next major thing I tried was skata which is a type of flat fish. It is traditionally eaten on December 23^rd. When I told my office I was going to a skata buffet for lunch they asked that I didn’t return and take an early Christmas break. The smell is nothing short of horrendous. The fish is fermented, the smell is awful, but the taste was edible. That being said you won’t see me flying to Reykjavik next Christmas to indulge in it.

Knocking two things off my bucket list - 1. Riding an Icelandic horse 2. Riding on the beach. 

While I am here to work I have also been taking advantage of knocking some things off of my bucket list. Having never grown out of the ‘I love horses’ phase, one of the first things I wanted to do was ride an Icelandic horse. The Icelandic horse is the purest of horse breeds. There are no other breeds in Iceland and once a horse leaves Iceland it is forbidden to come back.  On a surprisingly sunny and warm Saturday in October I was able to knock riding an Icelandic horse off of the list as well as riding on a beach! Another I went was early December and it was a completely different experience. We rode through a winter wonderland. Everything was covered in a blanket of snow, the skies were an ombré of blues, and the sun was shining so bright. It was a perfect day. I am becoming very fond of my Icelandic steed, Lukas and will be sad to leave him in March.

The past few months have flown by.  I am looking forward to what I have to learn and accomplish in the coming months. I know that many more great memories are going to be made and I am continuously thankful for this extraordinary opportunity.

If you would like to follow my time in Iceland, check me out on Instagram @_emscapades and be inspired to travel to this beautiful, diverse country!