Two Weeks in Iceland!!
OUR FIRST REAL UPDATE!
I can’t believe it, but I’ve been in Iceland for two weeks now! The first few days were a blur of naps, soccer practices and mild explorations of Mosfellsbaer (the town I’m living in). Since you last heard from me, I’m happy to share that I have settled into somewhat of a routine and managed to avoid any further provocation of the birds!
This move has been a big adjustment from what I’m used to. To be completely honest: I feel slightly different about it every day. Sometimes I feel euphoric and adventurous, other times I feel lost and under-stimulated. Either way, I’m leaning into this experience for all that it is and reminding myself that feeling a wide range of emotions is a big part of the process.
If you asked me any questions before I left, you know I didn’t have any answers. “I don’t know,” and “I’m not sure yet,” were two of my most commonly used phrases in the weeks leading up to my departure. After two weeks in Iceland, I finally have some answers to your questions and can give you a better idea of what my life looks like these days.
What’s Been Happening So Far:
During the week, I work in the morning and train in the evening. I get up around 8am and head to work at a convenient store located one town over. (Most Americans who play over here have side jobs like mine to keep us from getting too bored while we wait around for training.) Luckily for me, my commute overlooks Mount Esja– so I start most days surrounded by mountains and water (no complaints here)!
I like working my job because it gives me an outlet to connect with other people, which is something I’ve struggled to find here. Tourists are some of my favorite customers because their company makes me feel less alone, and their genuine excitement/curiosity about Iceland reminds me how lucky I am to be living here. The locals are doing their best to be patient with me, and I’m doing my best to learn a few Icelandic words. So far I know how to say good morning (daggin– pronounced “dyin”), hot dog (“pulsa”) and coffee (“kaffi”)– so I’d say we’re off to a pretty good start.
At 1pm, I finish work and head home for lunch and downtime before training. Although I’m not entirely sure how to handle this much free time, I try to fill it with cooking, writing, hiking, exploring, napping, walking, podcasts and Netflix. (Please feel free to share any entertainment recommendations in the comments!)
Then around 4:30, I head to our practice facility where I spend an hour lifting or getting myself ready for training. We train 5:30-7pm, which is BY FAR my favorite part of the day! After that I head home, make dinner, watch Succession with my roommates, and get ready to do it all over again the next day.
What’s Been Hard So Far:
It’s been SO exciting to move to a new country, start my soccer career and experience so many new things. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity, but I won’t pretend it hasn’t been difficult at times. There are a few moments every now and then where I look around and ask myself, “What the hell am I doing?”
The other day, I was listening to a podcast about the Enneagram Personality Test (for those familiar with the test, I am a 3 or 7), and it helped me realize why it’s been so difficult for me at times. This entire adventure is, in some ways, the antithesis of who I am as a person.
I am a future-oriented person who feeds off of human connection and long-term achievement. This is a temporary, 2-3 month experience where I’m surrounded by people who speak an entirely different language 75% of the time. And I have no definitive or long-term plan for what comes next. The relationship between who I am and what I’m doing is essentially one giant paradox.
I LOVE playing soccer– but that only takes up a few hours of my day. Outside of that, I’m leaning into an exact scenario that would make someone like me uncomfortable. But that’s just it: you can’t grow if you live inside your comfort zone. So even though it’s hard, it’s precisely what I want (and need). Growing pains are only an indication of growth.
What’s Been Brilliant So Far:
The soccer. The freedom. The friendships.
For the first time in my life, I get to focus on soccer and soccer alone. I am so proud of the life/career I’ve built outside of soccer, but I’ve always wondered what it’d be like to give 100% of myself to my soccer career. Here, I get to do that. I get to choose soccer every single day.
This autonomy has given me a greater sense of freedom in my play. I am not playing because I have to or because anybody wants me to or because there’s a scholarship on the line: I am playing because it brings me so. much. joy. It’s the same joy that I felt when I first started scoring goals in Arcade Area Youth Soccer. It’s the same joy that kept me coming back after four different hip/core surgeries. It’s the same joy that lingered and pushed me to go on this journey after years of saying I didn’t want to play after college. It’s the joy. It’s the joy. It’s the joy.
And as always, I have been absolutely delighted to meet so many new people. Even though I initially struggled connecting with people here (hellloooo, language barrier), I am finding new ways to connect and build relationships (learning to say “daggin” was a good first step). This past week, I found myself smiling/laughing even more than normal, and much of that is thanks to the people I get to share this journey with. No matter what cultural barriers exist– people are people, and I really love people.
One More Thing:
Tomorrow is my first game with the team, and I AM SO FREAKING STOKED! We play Grotta, who sit just above us on the table, tomorrow evening at 7:15pm my time (so 3:15pm ET). If the game is streamed, I will post the link to both Facebook and Instagram tomorrow afternoon. Thank you again for all of the support– I am sending so much love back home!