“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things,” from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There by Lewis Carroll, 1872
These were the words with which I began my journey to the land of fire and ice.
In just our two months here I feel like I have been given a lifetime’s worth of exploration and information from teachers, peers, and professionals.
But my favorite source of learning will always be Mother Nature.
Back home I live set back in the trees, where the woods hug my house. I spent my childhood walking across the fallen trees and kissing the bark of those still standing. Tree hugging was an everyday affair, not just something special for Earth Day.
To this day, whenever I feel lost or confused, I take off my shoes and amble underneath the canopy. Wet leaves beneath my feet and dirt between my toes, I feel like I’ve come home. Trees listen like no human ever can, and they impart a quiet peace within my soul.
In Iceland, the mountains, glaciers, and open sky have fed my heart and calmed my mind. But it wasn’t until we stepped foot into the only true forest in Iceland that I realized how much I missed the trees. Standing tall and strong, branches bowed towards the sky, pine needles reaching out to tickle my arms and fill my nose with their evergreen smell…what a welcome feeling it was. It was like a homecoming after a long journey, running my fingers over the rough bark, and feeling the forest floor underneath my boots (it’s a bit too cold to go barefoot), I felt so alive and full.
Iceland has taught me so much, about beauty and grace, love and hope, progress and growth, but mostly it has shown me that home is where the heart is. And mine is within the branches of the evergreens.
So naturally I had to hug a tree.
Happy hiking,
Marley