Made in Reykjavik: Wood Elf stuck in the Kingdom of Rohan

I'm totally a wood elf. When you move to a foreign country, sometimes the things that make you homesick aren't the things you didn't think you would miss. Thinking about my family makes me want to go back to the US, but I figured that would be the case. It's fall here in Reykjavik, and the leaves are changing color; soon they'll fall off the trees and all the green will be gone! At times like this, I imagine the tall thick evergreens of Olalla surrounding me on all sides and above, and it makes me feel cozy, like jumping into a bathtub of green. The Icelandic natural aesthetic puts a great emphasis on long, unbroken vistas. While I think this is beautiful, it is certainly not comforting like standing in the middle of a Pacific Northwest forrest. I've heard that thick forrest makes some folks uneasy; it gives them the spooky feeling that something is lurking inside the woods waiting to pounce at any moment. When I stand in the Icelandic landscape, it makes me feel exposed, and I fear I might just spin off the earth with no trees holding me down.

I've started scheming to come back to the US for a long trip this winter. It occurred to me, why not try and come back with Elsa María for Thanksgiving AND Christmas? Being a 'stay-at-home' mom is the same schedule no matter if we're in our own home, or Elsa's grandparents' home....plus when will we have the flexibility to come for a long trip again? Tumi doesn't have any finals this semester, so he could join us shortly and wouldn't have to be away from his adoring daughter for too long. Plus, it would be so good for Elsa to have some time with the other half of her family (and it would be so good for her mom to spend some time in the mother country!) I think we can make it happen :)

The beginning of fall has been a hectic time at our house. Tumi quit his job and started school. He is taking all the classes required for a teaching certificate, plus some classes for an MA in Journalism. Together, this means he is spending 110% of his time on school. He is also tutoring, coaching soccer three nights a week (+one weekend day) and finishing up projects at his old job, and doing his weekly radio show, and his weekly pub quiz. Somehow in all this chaos, he also finds time to hang out with his daughter and teach her how to play the piano. He seems very happy being so busy, and we are proud of him for following his passion. He won't really brag on himself, but I can....he has a knack for journalism, and apparently a bright future in the field. One of the tasks students in his class have to complete is to write for the student newspaper. One of the articles he wrote last week was picked up by the Icelandic news, a rare honor. An editor for the student paper asked him if he was sure he wanted to 'waste' his talents on sports journalism...a sentiment that I am inclined to agree with, but he will follow his heart...hey, maybe he can find a way to make soccer interesting to us non-sports-oriented people and explain what's so frickin' magical about it anyways!

I have started helping out at the International School in Iceland. I have one small class a week in which to teach 'environmental stuff.' We've only met once so far, and I can tell that creatively planning interesting lessons for them will be challenging for me. I am also going to start an Icelandic language course at the 'Intercultural Center' in the evenings three nights a week. With Tumi's coaching time, this means we will be relying on Icelandic grandparents quite a bit this fall. What a blessing to have them so close and willing!

Elsa María is almost crawling. She is certainly mobile....She pivots around on her tummy and scootches backwards (not forwards, yet!). If she is on her belly and hears something interesting going on, she'll turn around to look at it. How exciting to learn to interact with the world around you! The backwards-wiggling has landed her in some tricky spots, but my smart little cookie will figure out how to navigate the apartment pretty soon.

Rivendell...