Culture

Enchanting Saenautasel Turf Houses in East Iceland’s Highlands

Over the summer, I had the pleasure of traveling around Iceland, which has become an annual trip for me in the last few years. To my surprise, I always get to experience something new each time. East Iceland has a lot of hidden gems, so don’t skip out on making time for this area. Get…

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Chief Phil Fontaine on West Icelanders & His History-Making Activism for Indigenous People

I had the honor of interviewing Chief Phil Fontaine, an Indigenous Canadian leader, and former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. He is best known for playing a central role in raising awareness about residential schools in Canada and pushing for a Federal and Papal apology in 2008 and 2022. Additionally, he helped…

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Living in Greenland vs Iceland – Josepha Lauth Thomsen

This is the third and last episode I am publishing for what I dubbed “Greenland Week” on the podcast. As mentioned in previous episodes, Greenland and Iceland have some interesting things in common. Also, Iceland is only one of two places in the world where you can fly directly to Greenland, which gives you a…

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Reclaiming Greenlandic Culture – Interview with Aka Hansen

Before arriving in Greenland on February of 2023, I had no idea that I would be interviewing Aka Hansen. I was fortunate to meet her while she was doing a photo shoot with a mutual friend in a location where I happen to also be creating content. When I heard about the activism work that…

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From Iceland to Greenland: An Epic Adventure for Nature Lovers

I have a special series of episodes that I’ll be sharing this week about Greenland! In fact, I am calling it Greenland week because, inclusive of this episode, I have two other episodes that I’ll post. You might be wondering why I am sharing about Greenland when I normally talk about Iceland and the answer…

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Can an Eruption of Katla Volcano Impact the World?

I’m delving into a fascinating and kind of scary possibility. Vík í Mýrdal is a small town in South Iceland that has become a popular place for tourists to stop to see the area’s famous black sand beach, to stay the night if they need accommodations, and so on. However, most visitors don’t know about…

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5 Ways USA Culture Confuses Icelanders

As a native New Yorker that has traveled to a decent number of places in the United States before moving to Iceland in 2016, I’ve noticed some fascinating differences between the cultures. In this post, I’m pointing out 5 things about USA culture that confuses Icelanders. These are things I’ve specifically been asked by Icelanders…

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15 Strange Facts About Iceland

Iceland, the land of fire and ice, is full of fascinating and sometimes strange facts. In this podcast episode, I’m sharing 15 surprising facts about this country that you probably have never heard about. I know that I was surprised by many of them when I first heard them, and I hope that you enjoy…

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7 Reasons to Visit the Westman Islands in South Iceland

The south coast of Iceland is, hands down, one of the most popular areas of the country for visitors. However, there are a group of islands off the mainland of the country that most people that go to the south coast never visit. The Westman Islands is a 45–50-minute ferry ride away and it’s a…

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From a Failed Gold Rush to Hot Tubs: How Icelandic Bathing Culture Evolved

In partnership with the Icelandic Bathing Culture Exhibit hosted at Hönnurnarsafn, the Icelandic Museum for Design and Applied Arts, I’m sharing how Iceland’s beloved bathing culture evolved. Sund, which is the name of the Icelandic Bathing Exhibit, shares fascinating facts. One of my favorites is that a failed gold rush in Iceland is what led…

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