Today was my last day in Iceland. Exhausted after a long night of staying up with the other students in the hostel, we woke up, packed up our things, and headed towards the heart of Reykjavik where we would be spending a few hours exploring before heading to the airport. There I found a coffee shop that served wine during breakfast and although I thought it was a bit unusual, I appreciated the culture that was embedded in Reykjavik. I was surprised to see graffiti and street art all over, it gave the city a different aesthetic and feel than the rest of the country. Being right by the water front I saw a lot of ships and ports where boats would dock. I really didn’t want to leave Iceland. Around 12PM we headed towards the airport where we would board our flights back home. Finally at around 5P.M my flight back to NYC was boarding. I remember a slight feeling of sadness coming over me. Being from the city its hard to realize how beautiful the world truly is, and I knew I would miss the fresh air, beautiful mountains, and the welcoming vibes in the culture. As I headed home thousands of feet in the air, I realized that no matter where you are on planet Earth, there is a way of using the resources around us efficiently, in a sustainable manner, to minimize waste and optimize energy usage. This experience truly made me want to raise awareness in sustainability and renewable energy systems back home and in other highly populated areas and cities throughout the world.
