Back to Comfort

In the end I was able to arrange a car share from Akureyri to the farm with a great guy who was going to Egilsstadir for business. I really enjoyed my journey through the snowy wilderness of northeast Iceland and it was great to finally speak to someone again.

For the final leg of my journey I had to walk about 4 miles with my heavy backpacks before I was lucky enough to get picked up by a kind driver and her family. It was snowing, cold and windy so I was surprised that it took so long for somebody to pick me up. I had called the farmer to pick me up but even he didn’t feel the need to come and rescue me.

Once I arrived at the farm and entered the accommodation, I felt like I was in the right place. The outside was painted in all sorts of bright colours and the three people who greeted me had personalities as bright as the outside of the accommodation. I was given wine and we had great conversation for hours. We stood around a bonfire in the snow, drank tea and acted like we’d known each other forever.

There was no internet at the farm so it was relaxing for my soul to have a break from the outside world. It was better than I could have ever dreamed of and I was so glad to be at the farm. Over the coming days more people arrived and I was becoming a popular member of the group. I didn’t expect to get along so well but everything about the experience was perfect. We got along great as a group and I felt very comfortable with each one of them. We explored the beautiful surroundings and the work on the farm was stress free; just what I’d be hoping for.

As more people arrived, the house was becoming noisy and it was difficult to cook enough food for 18 people. I spent a lot of time feeling hungry and had to really try hard to encourage people to cook enough food. Small portions are just not enough for me and the lack of snack food available was really difficult for me. I bought a few secret snacks that I kept in my room but substantial meals was what I was really after. It was a continuing problem for me but what was worse was my neck pain.

My neck pain has been getting gradually worse over the past few years but the work on the farm was causing me a lot of pain. I couldn’t turn my head to either side without intense pain and having conversations with so many people was becoming increasingly difficult because I couldn’t nod or shake my head and I had to keep looking straight ahead when talking to people sitting around the table.

Although everyone was understanding and very kind to me, I was feeling incapable of doing my work properly and it was starting to get me down. The pain was with me all the time and the cooking and cleaning for so many people was just making it worse. I wanted to join in with everything but was having to hold back and that made me realise that I need to return home and sort out my neck problem once and for all. I have now booked a flight home for 9 June.

I was also starting to miss the comforts of home, the availability of food, my husband and my quiet and clean home. Above all, I was feeling the need to nurture and teach a small child, more than I have ever felt before. All of the younger people on this farm (which is the majority of them) have said that I’m very maternal, much to my surprise. They think I am caring and kind and they say that they always ask me when they need to know anything. I guess I have been subconsciously looking after them and taking care of them more than I expected I would.

Somehow this experience has made me realise that I have done what I need to on my own in this world and it’s time to pass on my skills to a small child. Like the vegetables I have been planting, I want to look after a human being and raise them as best as I can. As there are already a lot of children without homes in this world and because of the problems I experienced with my ectopic pregnancy, I plan to adopt a child.

Although my husband would like his own child, he is open to adoption. I am lucky to have a husband whose so open to my ideas. I will enjoy my last 10 days of this wonderful country before going home to repair my neck. Once my neck is better I will move on to my next dream of adopting a child. I’d like to adopt one from India and I’d like it to be as young as possible, but I think it’s going to be a long process. As my husband is from India he will be able to teach the child about its home country and also give it a second and third language (Hindi and Gujarati).

I’m glad to have followed my dream of coming to Iceland and even though it hasn’t quite gone to plan, I’m really happy that it’s given me what I needed and helped my next dreams become apparent to me. It’s surprising how much can change in a couple of months.

I’ll catch up with you all once I’m settled back into my comfortable life at home.