Roots of the Adventure

I work for Project Por Amor, but three years ago I was just a curious traveler joining my grandma on a trip to Iceland. I had no idea this trip would shape the trajectory of the next three years of my life. In August of 2022, my grandma signed me up to be her travel partner for a tour of landscapes and music in Northern Iceland with Project Por Amor. I had never gone on a trip with her so this was such a treat for me, especially since it was to a country I had never been to before. To say my expectations were exceeded would be an understatement.

My grandmother introduced me to Project Por Amor owner Sage who led our tour. I was amazed at the full itinerary of experiences he had lined up. The diversity of each day in Iceland gave me a well rounded view of the island; from its landscapes, food, and history, to music, myths, and modern culture. I have always held the philosophy that experiential learning is the best way to discover the world since my family took a year long adventure across the world, from New Zealand to Rome and the on to Spain, allowing my siblings and I to become immersed in culture beyond just reading about it in school. While school is obviously very important and I fully appreciate all of my educational opportunities in the past, that year stuck out to me more than any other and that feeling was definitely revived on this trip.

Bites, Basins, and The Earth Beneath Me

Iceland introduced me to things I never imagined—starting with the food. I never turn down trying new foods. I remember picking up a white cube of what I thought to be cheese on a toothpick and eagerly putting it in my mouth, as it was the first thing I ate that day. Huge mistake! The indescribable smell hit me before the flavor did and although I successfully finished it, I hadn’t realized I had just sampled fermented shark, otherwise known as Hákarl, which has a fascinating history. Long before modern preservation methods, the Vikings, Iceland’s earliest settlers, used fermentation to make the otherwise toxic Greenland shark edible. This practice was a testament to their resourcefulness and adaptability in the harsh Icelandic environment. The dish, with its distinct, pungent aroma, was an unforgettable part of the trip because my senses were so overwhelmed. That moment was seared into my memory but, I am grateful I experienced it as well the opportunity to try other dishes I didn’t even know existed like horse sausage.

The landscapes were just as wild and unforgettable. I wandered through lava fields that felt like natural mazes with their towering formations. One of the most surreal moments was standing on two different tectonic plates at once. I felt like I had time traveled back to a prehistoric era, to a time when there were no humans or animals, only primal elements and continents were shifting towards the world we know today.

And then there were the waterfalls: massive, thunderous, and commanding a presence you could feel long before you reached them. The sound alone was nearly deafening, a constant reminder of nature’s power.

Dettifoss, Vatnajökull National Park

When I think back to one day in particular, I am connected right back to the sensations—in just a few hours, we explored steaming geothermal sulfur springs, wandered the surreal lava fields which crusted under my feet, took in the luminescent expanse of Lake Mývatn, and ended the day staying overnight in this dreamy little fishing town of Húsavík. I kept wondering how I was still on the same tiny island that is roughly the size of the state of Ohio after passing through so many wonders. It is incredible how the earth formed in such distinct and varying ways over such a tiny area of land. It was one of many moments where I realized how privileged I was to be on such a rich, varied, and immersive trip which allowed us to take in more in a day than most vacations offer in a week.

The Edge of Something Unseen

When was the last time you heard such a lack of sound that it was loud? That is what I experienced visiting the Ásbyrgi Canyon. Towering and otherworldly, it left an imprint on me that I still can’t quite explain. Earlier that day, our group had spoken with Bryndis Fjóla, a seer and horticulturist, who shared Icelandic tales of the hidden folk—and by the time I stepped into the canyon, the landscape felt undeniably enchanted. Now, I do not really consider myself superstitious or religious in any way, but the way that Bryndis spoke about the hidden folk and the ways that one can recognize their presence in nature really did have me start to consider. After walking across miles of flat, porous lava fields, I suddenly found myself encircled by 330-foot-high cliff walls that made me feel like I had entered another world entirely. All of my senses seemed heightened: the colors felt more saturated, the silence almost thunderous, and my depth perception played tricks on me. It truly is haunting and otherworldly. It felt like stepping into a scene from The Lord of the Rings, as though a magical creature might appear at any moment. My eyes kept switching between hyperfocusing on movements on the side of the canyon, like water dripping or the flash of an animal hidden in its crevices, and zooming out in a panoramic angle and trying to see all of it at once.

The Art in the Unexpected

In addition to the stunning natural landscapes, Iceland offered an immersive experience in the arts and music, which was equally captivating. One of the highlights was listening to an organ performance in the breathtaking Hallgrímskirkja church in Reykjavík. As someone who loves organ music, the majestic sound resonating through the towering stone walls was unforgettable.

Organist at Hallgrímskirkja

I’d say Project Por Amor has its finger on the creative pulse on the island too. We visited an art museum inside an old herring factory in Hjalteyri, where the atmosphere was as unique as the exhibits. The museum was filled with abstract art, including video and projection installations, and to explore it, we had to climb around the factory’s industrial spaces. The stark, cold, dark surroundings and the concrete walls of the factory contrasted dramatically with the vibrant, modern artwork, creating an intense and thought-provoking environment and essentially becoming a piece of art itself. Throughout the journey, I was constantly in awe of the vibrant murals that adorned the streets of Reykjavík and Akureyri, turning ordinary walls into colorful canvases of creativity, similar to the ones I experienced while touring Cuba. These experiences all deepened my newfound appreciation of the rich cultural scene in Iceland which seamlessly blended history, art, and music.

Not Just a Trip

Iceland was not just a fantastic vacation for my grandmother and me—it also set me on the path to defining how I wanted to spend my post-undergraduate years. It ignited a passion for the Nordic lifestyle, which led me to study abroad in Copenhagen for five months, focusing on sustainable development and the ways to build a livable, prosperous future within the current ecological landscape. Along the way, I met some incredibly interesting people, including a man who worked for the Environmental Protection Agency—an organization I had always been curious about. We had an insightful conversation about sustainable development, which sparked my interest even further and became a key area of focus during my studies. As many of my peers moved to New York City to pursue finance and consulting careers, I knew my path lay elsewhere—somewhere I could contribute to expanding cultural understanding through travel. Were it not for that first experience with Project Por Amor in Iceland, which introduced me to this fascinating culture, I don’t think I would have found the clarity I needed for the next course of my life. Today, I love that I not only get to help other people experience the life-changing journey I did in Iceland and other places like Cuba and Sicily, but I also get to bring my singular passions about travel and sustainability to a company that shares my values.