Behind This Camera Lense

For the past four days, we have been staying in Reykjavik. I find that every major city has its own aurora, its own persona and lifestyle. Paris has the glamour associated with French life. Sydney has adventure and a great voice. But Reykjavik is colorful and quaint. Walking down the downtown streets, it doesn't feel like a major capital but rather like a classy coastal town. There are no skyscrapers, and the tallest building in town is the church. Graffiti is encouraged it feels like in Reykjavik with massive murals of important figures, words of inspiration, and even polar bears adorning apartment buildings and restaurants. Many buildings are also covered in sheeting ranging anywhere from midnight black to appl red to robin's egg blue. Believe it or not, it's actually more difficult to find a traditional Icelandic restaurant full of seafood and lamb than an Indian or Italian or French cafe. Reykjavik has managed to keep its history, as evidenced by the Viking statues and museums, while allowing other cultures in to play. America may be ethnically diverse, but it almost lacks the appreciation of diversity which Reykjavik has embraced. The thing that was most surprising and different for me coming from America was the state religion. I realize as I word it like that it sounds like some Soviet-era sanctioned ideal. Iceland is actually a Lutheran country. We happened to be here during Holy Week which I honestly don't know much about. But as a result, many businesses and museums were closed Thursday and Friday to give time for the religious celebration. The only time I've seen that happen is for patriotic events like Veteran's Day or the Fourth of July. It's really cool to see a place still so connected to its spirituality while remaining open to others.

When you go on a family vacation, you spend a lot of time together as a group, and it can be exhausting to try to feel every second with conversation. So you observe instead, observe how those around you act. And when the words stop, well that's when the real feelings start. Love is giving him the last bite of the chocolate cake. Love is sitting in the freezing car for hours because she believes the lights will show themselves. Love is long talks before the day even starts. Love is not saying anything when he buys that weird shirt that he can't stop talking about. Love is keeping the words kind even when the situation is angry. Love is being his silly Selfie buddy. Love is not caring who sees. Love is for everyone.

Of all the places I've been, Iceland is by far the most connected with its belief system. It's sweet rather than overwhelming or constrictive; Iceland is proud of it's heritage, and I find that admirable. Yesterday for example, we climbed Hellgafell which in Icelandic culture is one of the holiest places in the country. It was once the worshiping site for followers of Por. And then the site of a Christian church. Today it marks the burial place of Gudrum Osvifursdottir of the Laxdoela Saga. It's believed that if you climb this mountain without making a sound and without looking back, you will be granted three wishes. This may sound like a mystical endeavor; how can a mountain bring you luck? But when we were standing near those church ruins wishing, it did feel very powerful like the spirits of history were on our sides. What's more is that when we drove up to the site to begin the hike, three dogs raced up from the farmhouse nearby to greet us. They watched us begin the ascent, and then they left. But when we were close to the bottom, the dogs returned and walked the rest of the way down with us. The trail was covered in ice, and I couldn't help but think they were some kind of guardian dogs there to make sure we made it okay. The belief in trolls is also strong in Iceland. On many of the hiking trails there are signs which point to troll-like rock formations, and I've concluded that the signs are the names of the trolls. Snaefell, the volcano/ glacier we are staying near is also believed to be guarded by a demi-troll- Barour Snaefellsas. I have deeply enjoyed being able to experience a country with such strong history and connection. In America, everyone is of such differing descent and such differing belief systems. While this diversity is beautiful, it makes having a common creation belief and history like in Iceland impossible. I recommend to everyone seeing it at least once to understand a different way of social organization and passion.

Yesterday was another snowy snowy day. We attempted a drive to a hot pool in Lysuholsskoli that was filled with green algae, but the pool ended up being closed. The road going back probably should have closed too. One of the hills was almost totally covered in ice- the road had hardly seen sun because of the glacier towering over it. The wind also roared through the valley, bringing blinding snow with it. (This snow literally is blinding- one of the snow balls hit me under the eye and now I have a bruise.) There were several points at which we had to pull over because the road was out of view. We later found out the gusts were more than 30 mph.For the Icelanders on the road though, this apparently wasn't a problem as several cars continued to race by. I always thought coming from Colorado that we were the kings of driving in snow, but now I've realized that title is reserved for only those in Iceland. The weather also deserves its own title- fastest changing in the world. One minute the snow was pelting us and the next there was blue sunny sky. During this brief reprieve, we went down to the beach at Malarrif to look for whales. My brothers and I ended up standing on the rocks the waves were crashing on, taking in all the sea's splashes. Even though the idea was probably not a very smart one (the wind was still terrorizing us), I'm so glad I shared those moments with my brothers. Now that I'm getting ready to go to college, I'm realizing that every minute with them is something so special.

I'm not really a person who likes to go underground; I would prefer to stay where I can see the sky and stars and freedom. Today was not one the days I got to remain with the sky and stars and freedom- today was the day we ventured into an underground cave. This was not any old cave, although it was over 700 years old. This cave was actually a lava tube from Snaefellsnes last eruption. This tube is also quite famous in such circles as it is the one Jules Verne wrote about in Journey to the Center of the Earth. We traveled the same path of literary hero's which made me, an lit nerd, pretty excited. Our guide was named Thor which is also pretty cool. He refered to his giant flashlight as being his hammer which made me laugh but no one else. The Germans and Canadians with us were a tough crowd during the whole tour. The only bad thing, if you could call it that, about the tour was the way down. Twice you must descend a spiral staircase spanning several meters down. This one in particular reminded me of the one descending into the catacombs in Paris. I guess spiral staircases are the go-to decor in dark and mildly creepy places. The stairs weren't a huge deal for me but they were for my mom who has head trauma which makes balance difficult. We all made it though, and the bottom was brilliant. In the first chamber, Thor told us about how it was used for a troll meeting (I told you they love trolls here). In the second chamber, there was a pool of underground water that is the freshest and most clean probably in the world. Not only doesn't it come straight off the glacier, but it is also filtered through the lava rock. We were able to drink some of this water, and it really did taste much better than that from the tap. Hopefully that water is from the Fountain of Youth too. In this cave we also turned off all the lights and our voices and just listened to the cave. The only noise was the dripping of water. This was an intense experience. Usually in the dark we feel the need to shrink and be fearful of the unknown but here I felt stronger and powerful even. The rock around me had been flexible enough to withstand hundreds of years of terrestrial pressure, and so could I.

This morning we woke up to snow again... and two Germans at our front door. Their car had gotten stuck in a crater (basically the opening of a volcano) a little ways down the road. Come to find out they had been in the states only a year ago at Zion National Park, not too far from where we live.

This morning we woke up to a blizzard and winds that seemed ferocious enough to blow the whole house over. But while there was a break in the storm, we journeyed down towards the shore to take the hike from Hellnar to Arnarstapi. This was 2 kilometers of the most beautiful earth I've ever seen. The violent lava rock and the thrashing sea were tamed by the lush green moss. No matter how long we stay here I don't think I'll get used to seeing such contrasting landscapes all wrapped into one.

At the beach in Hellnar, we found a channel where the ocean crashed through but when the water receded, the lava rock underneath resettled with a noise like popping popcorn.

Follow me on Instagram @rolipolioli4 for photos.

After being awake for what felt like a whole day, I was ready to just get off the plane and into our rental house. I was exhausted; who knew sitting for hours could be so tiring? But just as we were landing, the sun started to rise (at 6 in the morning!) Stripes of red, yellow, and orange awakened the sky and me too. I suddenly became so totally aware that I was about to be in Iceland, I was about to cross a venture off my bucket list, and I was probably embarking on my last big family trip. I guess that's why sunrises are always used in literature to signify new beginnings. And once we got out of the airport and began searching for our rental car, the sun only intensified, and I literally got the feeling to dance around on the icy parking lot because life was just that cool. (Side note: we literally had to search for our rental car in the parking lot. My mom was in contact with the man who rented us the house, and he also offered to rent us a car for the trip. Since our flight got in so early though, he left the car in the parking lot with the keys in the tail pipe. My dad wandered around checking the tail pipes of cars until he found the one that was ours.) Even the landscape and wild ponies blew my mind, even though I don't like horses. But the things that I've loved the most thus far is the sense I have that this could be my life. The wandering over foreign terrain, the jumping down sea cliffs to get the perfect shot, the yelling to stop the car because the light hit just right... I was reminded of how much photography means to me and how perfect it makes life feel. Even when my face felt like it was cracking away from the Arctic wind, I couldn't stop because everything in my world felt aligned. In my literacy class we just finished reading Maya Angelou's "Wouldn't Take Nothing For My Journey Now", and in it she discusses the importance of travel and the exposure to other types of people. She insists that everyone really is the same with only differences in cultures and philosophies. That I've known, but it's nice to see it in nature as well. Tonight we saw the Northern Lights and the star-filled sky. Those are the same stars my best friends in the US are seeing but with a different color and attitude draped around them. The beautiful thing about the world is that it is what you create it and choose to see in it.

Or at least that’s what they want you to think. But sometimes the journey is long and exhausting, and it’s just a relief when you finally get to the end point. This journey was one of those times. I love airports. I love that at an airport nothing is stagnant; you must literally move to survive. I love that you are more likely to find someone who doesn’t speak English than someone who does. But I don’t love airports when you’re stuck there for four hours; an introduction to the feeling you'll be having for the next seven hours. And I don't love airport food either, although it did made me laugh to see that DIA has a restaurant with a full tequila bar. I love airplanes too. I love the feeling you get of being free when your airplane takes off. I love feeling like the world is small. But I don't love airplane seats which totally kill your butt after a mere two hours. And I don't love airplane food either which takes all your budgeted food money for the whole trip. The toughest part of this journey though was not being able to sleep on the plane. A rush of panic begins to flow through your veins as you see the clock tick down, and you realize the opportunity for rest is closing. For nearly seven hours I left this, and I was actually very angry at the universe for not letting me sleep. Until I looked out the window and saw the Northern Lights, the real Aurora Borealis shining like green watercolor paint laid out by God. And that's when I remembered that the journey really is the best part. You'll experience so many amazing things along the way if you begin to look at them as such.

Only 10 hours until we're there! #reykjavik #iceland #spring break 2015

John Lennon

This author and this novel kept me up reading for hours. It was simply incredible; so incredible I can't think of anything but the twisted ending.  

Hoda Kotb playing, and the singing and dancing to, “Get Low" while speaking to students at the Washington Journalism and Media Conference.

April Ryan when asked what it’s like to be a minority in the journalism business.