A Day at The Pool in January in Iceland...Wait...What?!

A precursor story to satisfy some friends...

Sooo....As some of you heard through Facebook, most of us spent time in a hot tub during our stay at Skálholt. We decided earlier in the day that we wanted to get in, but as you have heard, none of us had our luggage. The guys would be fine, they could just go in and sit in a towel or in their underwear. I, on the other hand, could not just wear my underwear and/or a towel, as the towels are smaller and wouldn't fit around me, nor cover all of me enough that I would be comfortable going into public. I ended up turning in from the Divine Disorder earlier than the others...jet lag and all...and I wanted to get in...it would have been a shame for all that hot water to be wasted. So...I began my search for a suitable solution. I would be by myself, so I wasn't as concerned with modesty as I would have been if the others had gone in with me. I tried wrapping the towel around me, and found I wasn't comfortable with that...even just with myself going out. So...I started digging through the bag that Paul and I packed for this short trip. Inside of this bag, I found a roll of duct tape...camo duct tape. This gave me a flashback moment...recently, I had found a Pin on Pinterest that explained to women how to us tape to kind of make a "bra" that is both backless and strapless for dresses of the same kind. The pin suggested using athletic or medical tape...but...yeah. I didn't have any. I was well prepared, however, to create amazingness from the duct tape because of a program I was a part of in school called Destination ImagiNation (creative problem solving competition...google it, its amazing!) in which my team frequently chose the problem where you had to create everything out of duct tape and newspaper. I didn't use newspaper for the bikini, but I definitely used duct tape. Using what I had learned from Pinterest, I quickly and efficiently made a bikini top out of the camo duct tape. It was both functional, adorable, and comfortable!

Speeding up in the story: I spent an hour and a half in the hot tub alone. During this time, I FaceTimed my mom and sang aloud. I didn't stay that long by choice...I found out the hard way that the keys to the house did not unlock the side door...so I kept messaging Steven on Facebook to send someone to get the keys from me and let me back into the house. Half the time I spent in the hot tub, I was waiting for Steven to see the messages. Not his fault, though, I wouldn't have been checking my phone while in conversation with these amazing people, either! Anywho...I made it back into the house and ended up going to bed. Plus, the tape didn't hurt to take off! Apparently, the heat from the hot tub softened the adhesive enough that it stayed put, but wasn't painful to remove. Hip, hip, hooray!

Fast forward to today!

Today was the first day that everyone had their luggage!!! So, we planned to go to the pool. We went to a flea market where everyone (but me, because I wasn't hungry...legitimate excuse...I'm trying to learn to eat only when I'm hungry and not when I'm bored) tried hákarl (follow the link to find out what they ate!), and walked around and observed the people! Paul, Megan, and I also found and spoke to a man from Kenya. He was selling jewelry made from recycled or repurposed goods made by women in his village who were poor, and the money he made helped to build and support a school in Kenya. They actually bought the land and built a school in Kenya with the money they made in Iceland in 6 months by going door to door and collecting cans and bottles and turning them in for a refund. We spoke to him for half of our time in the flea market, and then headed to the store to get groceries. While Gunnar was shopping, the rest of us walked around and explored the grocery store named Bonus. While in there, I got Licorice for my dad. Apparently, Iceland is one of the few (2 or 3, I think) places where you can get real licorice...apparently everything in the US is flavored with Anise and not real licorice. Hope you like it, Dad! 

Once done at the store, we headed to the pool. Pools in Iceland can be used year round, because the water comes out of the hot springs at about 170F, and is cooled by the air while traveling into town. The cultural differences are very apparent, and extremely interesting at the pool. At the pool, like at all pools I know of, the men and women go into separate locker rooms and change. This is where the similarities end. At Icelandic pools, and other pools in European countries, you strip down in the locker room, go to a shower area, with no curtains, and wash yourself with provided soap, before getting into the pools. I learned a lesson in this room that I believe needs to be brought over to the US. In that room...no one was ashamed to be naked. No one stared. No one pointed and laughed and someone who was too skinny or overweight. I couldn't understand anyone talking, but the atmosphere was different. No one was embarrassed. Everyone just took off their clothes and put them in the locker, walked to the shower, washed themselves thoroughly, put on their bathing suit, and left. No one was uncomfortable but Megan and I, because we were not accustomed to it. There are two things to learn here. One, showering and washing before the pool keeps the water cleaner, so less chemicals are needed and the water is clean. The second is a matter of body image. To paraphrase Gunnar: They don't even think about it when the undress at the pool. Everyone is walking around naked and it doesn't matter. This is something amazing to me. In our culture sex, sexuality, and all that goes with it are only discussed behind closed doors and are taboo, but most advertisements are soaked in sexuality! You see car advertisements with half-naked women laying across them; this Christmas there was an underwear advertisement with men in boxers, socks, and santa hats, thrusting their pelvis' as if they were the bars of a xylophone being played by a percussionist. We aren't allowed to talk about it, but we are surrounded by it. 

Sorry, I'll get off my soap box, but the lesson is this: we should be comfortable in the bodies that God gave us. We shouldn't be ashamed to be naked in front of those of the same sex. To paraphrase Gunnar again, we have been covering and clothing our bodies and our hearts/minds since the Garden of Eden. We have lost respect for these wonderfully complicated organic "machines" that God created. We need to remember that we are all Children of God and that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps 139:14). 

To end the day, we had a delicious meal cooked by Gunnar's amazing wife, Þóra (sounds like Thora). After dinner, we watched a portion of the movie, The Steam of Life, where we were exposed to the Finnish culture. After we experienced what Gunnar wanted us to, we popped in another movie called Intouchables, a French movie that is fantastic...its on Netflix, go watch it! Now Gunnar, Will, Paul and I are sitting here talking about fishing, gardening, cars, church, guns, body image, cultural differences, and basically just learning more about each other and our cultures. Now, I'm off to bed...ok thats not true...I'm going to read, then eventually go to bed. Good night!

P.S. Sorry for being so long...I like to do this blogging thing while I travel. And, there was supposed to be a video of a geyser erupting, but it wouldn't upload, but fear not, my friends, I shall try again!

Gracious Creator, 
Thank you for the amazing things that you have created: the landscape, the food, and the people. Help us to treat each and every human being as your child. Help us to see all as equals and as your amazing creation. Teach us to respect and love all, no matter the shape they are in both mentally and physically. Allow us, Lord, to channel your love and kindness and appreciate all that you have made. In your Holy Name I pray, Amen.