One college student experiences a new country, a new way of life

 

BY MOLLY SMITH FOR GREENING OF OIL

It is often said that the ultimate college experiences are the ones that don’t even take place on the physical campus. Study abroad programs are an opportunity for students to learn outside the classroom and immerse themselves in a culture unlike any they have experienced before.

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While I have yet to venture forth on a study abroad excursion (Summer 2011, New Zealand, here I come!) my dearest friend, Natalie Zandt, traveled to Iceland during the fall semester of 2009. Natalie’s semester was particularly special, for apart from living in a foreign country, she also lived in a completely sustainable community called Solheimar.

In Solheimer, the entire close-knit community practiced sustainable living strategies and conservation practices. With it’s onsite greenhouses, composting facilities and solar panels, surrounded by the bleak but stunningly beautiful Icelandic landscape, Solheimer is a sustainability student’s dream. Natalie graciously let me interview her about her semester-long adventures in a land which may have ice in it’s name, but was filled with warm people and unforgettable experiences.

Molly: Overall, what was life like in a self-sustaining ecological village?

Natalie:. The three words which best describe life at Solheimar are simplicity, connection, and nature. At Solheimar, I had a very simple schedule during the week. Every morning I started my day with the community morning song, followed by classes, community lunch, and a home cooked dinner. While we did have homework, most of my free time was spent taking walks, going to the naturally heated hot tub with friends, reading, and learning how to knit. Never once did I feel an overwhelming sense of stress. Community relationships were greatly valued in the Solheimar community. Not only did I form strong bonds with all my study abroad mates, I was able to get to know most of the inhabitants on a personal level, in spite of language and age barriers. Lastly, pristine nature was all around us in the Solheimar community. I only had to step outside to breath fresh air, and take comfort in absolute silence. I miss the infinite feeling that only complete silence can bring.

Molly: What were major differences between life in Iceland and life in the US?

Natalie: I don’t want to make a generalization of what life is like in Iceland because I had a very unique experience being a student living outside the capital city of Reykjavik, etc. However, from my personal experience, I have a sense that life in Iceland is slower paced. Also something small I’d like to point out, there is way less advertising in Iceland. Huge billboards do not really exist there. I might have seen two in the capital city of Reykjavik.

Molly: What were the biggest differences in mindset of the native Icelandic people and Americans? Why can’t we live like them?

Natalie: I think Icelanders are more independent and quiet by nature. I think that their temperament is a product of their unique Viking ancestry and natural landscape. Icelanders are also more intrinsically connected to their natural environment. Environmental activism is very popular in Iceland; thanks to activists several proposed dams have been canceled. Why can’t we live like Icelanders? I am not too sure. I think that as a society we’ve become separated from nature. We don’t grow our own food, we live in fast paced cities and suburbs; we just don’t have time to interact with nature. We’ve reached a point where even if we did have time to “go out into nature”, we wouldn’t know what to do; we’d be bored without our Ipods, cell phones, etc. I think our lives will become increasingly more hectic and isolated if

we don’t take a few lessons from those who think like our Icelandic friends. 

Molly:  Upon coming back to the US, how did your life change? How did you change?

Natalie: It was very difficult coming back to Cornell after spending 3 months in Iceland. At Solheimar living in a more sustainable manner was very easy. I was not tempted to buy things I didn’t need. Many of the vegetables served for dinner were grown in the community greenhouses. The list goes on. Here at Cornell, living sustainably is difficult. For the first two weeks I tried really hard to not drive, to buy local food, carry reusable bags, etc. It was really difficult, and due to poor planning and a tight schedule I often fell short of my personal sustainability goals. Classes, workload, and extracurricular activities do not give me the time to think about how I could live my life in a more sustainable manner. Despite all these challenges though, I must say that I do make a bigger effort to always carry my reusable water bottle, and to take my reusable bags to the grocery store.

Molly: What are other things you learned to do in Iceland that you incorporated into your life here?

Natalie: I did a lot of composting in Iceland. So when I came back to the states I really wanted to build a vermiculture composting unit. This is still a project in progress, but I hope to finish it before classes get out. Also when I was in Iceland I didn’t buy many new things, aside from a few souvenirs. Now that I am back in the US I try to buy things only if I really need them. So far I have only bought 2 new shirts this semester; that is a pretty big improvement for a recovering shopaholic. In Iceland I never used a clothes dryer, and I can proudly say that I haven’t used a clothes dryer at all so far this semester. Buying myself a drying rack was one of the best investments I’ve made.

Molly: With organic and local so expensive, how would you advise readers to be more sustainable? How can we go green without spending a lot of green?

Natalie: Living at Solheimar taught me one very important lesson, the necessity of self-sufficiency. The way our modern economy works, most people are highly specialized in their profession. However if you take the time to learn other skills/hobbies, your life can be more rewarding on a personal and financial level. Growing a small portion of your own food is something simple most anyone can do.  Aside from food there are also simple things you can do to save energy in the home, like using a drying rack instead of using a dryer, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, etc.

Molly: Closing thoughts? What do you want to tell the readers of Greening of Oil?

Natalie: Iceland is an amazing country. I’ve been lucky enough to do a lot of traveling in my 20 years, and I have to say Iceland is like no other country I have ever been to. The natural landscape is otherworldly. The country has such a rich history as well. I would definitely encourage readers to visit Iceland for themselves. I also want to expound the ideas of self-sufficiency and a slower pace of life. If people incorporate these values into their daily life, they will be happier, their communities will benefit, and our natural environment will begin to heal.

Check out Natalie’s youtube video she created with other students about their sustainable lifestyle.

About Molly Smith

Molly Smith hails from a small rare-breeds farm in Woolrich, Pennsylvania. Growing up she was an active participant in 4-H, Project Grass, Envirothon and Dairy Promotion. After her graduation from the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School in 2007, Smith moved to New York to begin undergraduate work at

Cornell University. As a Natural Resources major in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Science, Smith has found ample opportunities to develop her interests in sustainable agriculture, conservation ecology and wildlife biology. On campus, she is an active participant in Forword Women’s Literary Magazine, Society for Natural Resources and Conservation and the Developmental Fencing Club. When not working, Molly enjoys rock climbing, yoga, playing scrabble and discovering new music.

Contact Molly Smith at mls379@cornell.edu.