First Day in Iceland

The first day of my round-the-world adventures is starting to draw to a close. It's now nearly 9:00 pm, and it still looks like it's 5:00 outside...pretty strange to see the sun still fully in the sky. I arrived at the hostel today at around 11:30, and headed out for a stroll around noon. The cold weather wasn't too bad with the sun high in the sky and I had a pleasant walk through the camp ground and botanical gardens that are next to my hostel. The hostel is located on the edge of...I don't really know what to call it. Essentially it seems like a huge athletic center, with different gyms, the national football (soccer) stadium, a huge pool and spa facility, botanical gardens, and an open zoo. It was nice to stroll a bit and just take my time in the crisp air. The low-hanging clouds and surprisingly open spaces were very refreshing after spending months in a city. I didn't make it to the city centre today, but the people at the hostel told me that many shops wouldn't be open since it was Sunday, so I decided to take it easy instead. After my stroll, which probably took me about 3 miles in total, I came back to the hostel to drop off my things.

The next stop was Laugardalslaug, the largest pool in Iceland, which incidentally is right next door! There are outdoor and indoor pools, and all are heated primarily by geothermal heat. I spent about an hour in one of the jacuzzis, which was a wonderful relief after carting around my laptop and binder full of research materials on my little trek. I attracted a few stares, and the procedures of the pool were a bit confusing, but overall it was a nice way to relax.

Afterwards I headed to a small grocery/convenience store called 10-11 and bought some provisions for the week. Then I made myself some dinner and sat down to get some work done. I took a little nap but I'm still really tired. I didn't get much sleep on the plane so I've more or less been awake now for....well I have no clue with the time difference but it's been a long time. In any case I'm definitely getting to bed early tonight. Until then, I'll probably just be preparing for my interview tomorrow. I'm very nervous! Hopefully all this preparation will help things to go smoothly and will yield great results for my research. Night everyone!