2
Location: Reykjavik
Slowly, more and more students started accumulating in the airport, where we were greeted by Kimmi and Robbie. Some complications with traveling did play a role in the day, such as canceled flights and lost luggage, but that did not prevent us from having an amazing first day to start off the program. Once the majority of us were united, we made our way to our first bus ride into Reykjavik, where many of us enjoyed naps and beautiful views. We transferred onto a different bus and arrived at our hostel, where we immediately ate sandwiches for lunch. Followed by a well-deserved lunch, we made our way into the Botanical Garden, minutes from our hostel. There, we were split into groups for our scavenger hunt, which quickly turned into a bonding circle in the grass where we all got to know each other better. Around 3, we checked into our dorms and set up our bunk beds while relaxing and taking warm showers. After some well-deserved rest, we talked around picnic tables in the little garden, followed by four devoured pizza pies from dominos. We all decided to go for a walk after dinner and stumbled upon a giant trampoline, where we all spent a long time jumping, laughing, and trying not to kick the other little kids. Later on that evening, we met another student who had made his way from Amsterdam, and we all sat down for our orientation and the confiscation of our phones. We ended the long day by returning to the trampoline, trying to use all of our little remaining energy before we called it a night, and slipped under our covers to catch up on our sleep.