Musings From A Tourist In Iceland
Posted on 14th March 2025 at 17:15
Travelling.
Like it or loathe it?
I am firmly in Team Like.
What do I like about it?
I like, weirdly enough, being uncomfortable. No, not my clothes but the whole thing. Being in places that I wouldn’t ordinarily be in. Speaking to people who are totally different to me. Doing things that I wouldn’t ordinarily do. Visiting places that aren’t accessible to me at home – although I do wonder if the sunny/warm location that I find myself in is the reason it suddenly has appeal 😊. Eating local delicacies or in local hostelries.
All of these things, and more are exactly what I love about travelling.
One of the reasons why I have taken myself to a country this week that I am totally unfamiliar with – Iceland – is for this very reason.
I do not know very much about Icelandic culture and customs apart from the following (and I apologise for this list as it’s bound to be patchy)
1. Bjork is from Iceland, and I think that she is cool (if you need to Google her, please do)
2. It has a colder climate than the UK because of its proximity to the Artic Circle
3. Vikings?
4. The ash cloud from the volcano that erupted in 2010 stopped everyone travelling – mostly in Europe and around the world
5. The Northern Lights
6. Lots of volcanoes
7. Geysers
8. Geothermal pools
9. Wasn’t Game of Thrones filmed in Iceland?
10. It’s pretty pricey (and to that I can testify, yes and amen 😊)
That’s a pretty dodgy list of Top Ten Audrey Facts About Iceland, isn’t it?
But I own it and that’s fine.
I’ve been here for four days now (another four to go) and here is my Top Ten Audrey Facts About Iceland (Now That I Have Been Here)
1. The climate is wild – four seasons within one hour – and it changes without warning
2. The people are fairly reserved but very friendly
3. There aren’t that many people in the whole country – 350,000 with 200,000 of them in Reykjavik
4. It’s very pricey compared to the UK
5. The country is beautiful and mysterious
6. I love the geothermal pools and that they have harnessed the natural energy for good
7. Diversity is slowly building in Iceland and so far, so good
8. They love their language but also recognise the importance of communicating with the world, so most people speak English as standard
9. In buildings, it is WARM everywhere
10. They value who they are and what they have
And all of this I know because I have made it my business to turn up and be a part of society.
And yes – I am a tourist, so I am probably receiving a distorted view of what it’s really like to live and work here. However, that’s the only perception that I can take because…well, I am a tourist!
I guess my point is that you can only do what you know and see things as they are from the one pair of eyes and ears that you have. Things change when you give yourself new information to analyse/interpret.
One of the issues that can happen is that you receive new information, and you make the decision not to change.
Is this a bad thing?
Well, ‘bad’ is a highly subjective word in particular contexts and we don’t need to unpack that. However, let’s substitute ‘bad’ for problematic.
It can be if, having received new information, you make the choice NOT to change. Changing your mind/your actions/your beliefs/your thoughts is not compulsory as it may be that the new information reaffirms your original thinking. However, and again, context is key, depending on what you know and what it means in how you position yourself in the world, it can make the difference. Mindset is the difference between the best and the rest.
My visit to Iceland has also been an opportunity to see how high my cultural intelligence is and, as a recently qualified CQ facilitator, have I changed my ways of thinking when looking at how I interact with global cultures? Am I interculturally effective?
I may need to step back and briefly define cultural intelligence and what CQ is, so let me do just that.
Cultural intelligence is the ability to understand, relate to, and work effectively with people from different cultural backgrounds. It’s like having a "cultural GPS" that helps you navigate differences in values, behaviours, and communication styles.
It’s made up of four key parts and I will apply them to my situation:
Drive (Motivation)
Do you want to engage with different cultures? Well, yes I do. While I may be a solo traveller on this occasion, I am having to interact with many different people and I am willingly seeking that out.
Knowledge (Understanding)
Do you know about different cultures and their norms? No, I didn’t when I made the decision to travel here but that was deliberate on my part so that I could learn. I was not fully aware of the changeable weather but as the receptionist in the hotel explained to me: "If you don't like the weather in Iceland, wait five minutes." She was not wrong!
Strategy (Awareness)
Can you plan ahead for cultural interactions? Yes – I have learnt a couple of key phrases and used them. I have a feeling that they weren’t always correct, but I have made the effort because I wanted my interactions to be positive. Sometimes it’s harder when EVERYONE speaks English – it can make you lazy!!
Action (Adaptability) – Can you adjust your behaviour to fit different cultural contexts?
Yes, I can. I can choose the best ways of behaving so that it’s not problematic and so far, so good i.e I haven’t been arrested! 😊
It’s not about knowing everything but being open, curious, and willing to learn and it’s an ongoing process.
Can you think about your own cultural intelligence? What are you naturally drawn to? What about closer to home? Do you work with colleagues or have friends where you maybe haven’t fully recognised the differences in the way you approach projects and possibly, you may have considered that they were ‘wrong’?
What might you do differently, now that you have read this article?
Remember that cultural intelligence is not fixed and that there will be some drivers that you will be naturally good at and some that you will have to work at.
Right – back to my geothermal spa treatment! 😊
© Audrey Pantelis
March 2025
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