All Good Things Must Come to an End

As our days here dwindle down, the idea of having to leave this wonderful community is starting to hit me. Like most things in life, this experience must end. I knew coming into this semester that my time was limited, what I didn't realize is how attached I would become and how quickly time goes passes. It seems like just a few weeks ago I was preparing for departure, and now the time has come to emotionally prepare to head home. It is amazing how quickly three months can go by, I remember one of our first days here. Liana, Emily, Julia and I went for a walk down the road; the area was still foreign to us. We took pictures of the landscape and of course pictures of us jumping in the road, then I fell in the mud (not surprised at all!). Looking back on our first week or so here, I remember how new and intimidating everything was. With many unknown territories to explore, like meeting the homes people, going into Vala, going to the gym, doing laundry, and getting to know the interns. All these things are part of my daily life now, thinking about how timid I was toward them seems humorous. The fact that all of these things I have adapted to doing will disappear from my life within a matter of days, scares me even more than coming to Iceland in the first place. I have grown to love and care about the community that surrounds me, by leaving Iceland I am leaving more than just memories behind. I am leaving my family and a chapter of my life behind. I know that I will always carry Solheimar with me, it has forever changed me, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity that I have been given.

The group visiting the forestry department

The group in Reykjavik

Before coming to Solheimar I knew little to nothing about mentally disabled people. I had no idea that these would be the people to leave the greatest impact on my life. Being able to from bonds, and get to know the different homes people is one of the most rewarding part of this journey. In the beginning I was very timid, unsure of which homes people could 1. understand me 2. be capable of understanding me and 3. could communicate back was the hardest part. I figured out pretty quickly that if you simply smile and say "Góðan daginn" the chances of you getting a response is high. Even if you cannot understand anything they say back, or if they do not respond back to you, you still brighten their day. I found the people in this community are just happy to have you around, it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, or what you look like; most of the time they are just looking for a hug!

11, that is the number of countries that CELL students, interns and EVS come from. These countries include; The U.S.(Liana, Emily, Julia, Elizabeth), China (Yilin, Chen), Canada (Anneliese), France (Matti), Germany (Susi, Franz, Robyn), Belgium (Goedele), Finland(Silja), Turkey(Dogukan), Portugal(Pami and Poulo), Cape Verde (Angela), and Spain (Yolanda and Veronica). Once at a party I looked around the room, I took note of these people coming from all around the world, bringing their own unique cultures and languages (not to mention delicious food). I thought about how we have come together in this special community, and how we have bonded over sharing this experience. Then it hit me, just how small the world truly is. I am so grateful for the chance to meet each person here, they have individually changed my life, and left a mark on me that they may never see. I am honored to say I have friends from all over the world, and I know when we say our good byes it won't be goodby forever, but as the Icelanders say it "sjáumst" or see you later. I think leaving these amazing people behind will be one of the hardest things I have to go through. Again coming here I never expected to become so attached to this group of people, I have adapted and become use to being around them. When there is no longer accents from 11 different countries and no more miscommunication in my daily life, I am not sure what I will do. Throughout this experience I have been able to see what it is like to be the minority, the one who is not from Iceland, the one who does not know the language, and the new kid. That in itself has been a humbling experience, although I must say I quite enjoyed it! Solheimar is like a huge mixing pot of culture, making the world that much smaller, and bringing wonderful people into our lives.   

Playing games with some of the interns!

Coming up with one word that describes my CELL family is simply not possible. This group of young women (and Hank) has influenced me in ways that I never imagined. For as long as I can remember it has been difficult for me to express my emotions, I have always struggled with being "deep". Opening up to these girls was easy from the beginning. They are all so open and excepting, I immediately felt I could be myself in front of them. I was not afraid to show them every side of me, whether that be my goofy side, happy side, loud side, outgoing side, or emotional side; they were there for me no matter what.While here I had the opportunity to take a step away from my daily life, and the intensity of school. I discovered even more of what makes me happy, I was exposed to people of different backgrounds, and I helped to feed my curiosity of the world.

Group shot on the Westman Islands

Emily, Julia, Liana, Yilin, Chen and Hank: Thank you so much for sharing this experience with me. You helped make this semester one to never forget, and I will always look back on this as one of the best times of my life. You really have impacted me, and I will always remember our corkyness and jokes :)

Now as one journey comes to end, it is time to take what I have learned and look forward to the next adventure. Where that will be? Who knows... until then sjáumst!!
- Elizabeth

West Iceland trip

Goofing around on the Westman Islands!