Haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list

Yellow Light

Yellow Light

It’s late August, my very first week in Iceland, and I decide to take a walk to waterfalls not far away from the Freezer. Standing in front of the waterfalls, I notice three men who are obviously shooting a movie; one of them is holding a remote control and piloting a drone flying above us, the other two are staring at a vintage-looking armchair which seems to be a main craft for the movie. How curious I am, I approach the men and start a conversation. We talk for a while, later we walk together towards their car and they offer me a ride to the closest town Ríf. Since their huge terrain car is full of the video equipment, they let me sit on that cool retro armchair in the back of the car. When getting off the car, one of them just quickly asks for my e-mail address and promises that he will send me the video once it’s done. When walking back to the Freezer I smile, wave back and honestly think I will never hear back from those people…

Sitting in a coffeehouse in Reykjavík. A typical hipster place. Small tables placed along the windows that are perfect for individuals sitting behind their laptops. Bigger tables strategically situated in the middle of the room, meant for those lucky ones spending their free time with other hip-looking fellas. We all know it well; girls wearing skirts passing their knees, covered by warm scarfs casually dropped on their shoulders. The ideal outfit for this season; November 4th, the temperature does not exceed 1°C. However, when looking out of the window you would vainly search for dancing trees; Iceland is way too young for all that wisdom usually found in them. Despite that, the weather clearly tells us that autumn is over and winter is coming.

I came to Reykjavík because of the music. It’s not like I wouldn’t be able to get enough at the Freezer; the Tuesday open mic is a real phenomenon. This time I just felt like getting something else. Bigger. Real. Unforgettable. Magic. Icelandic. Iceland Airwaves. Five days of parties, amazing music, overpriced alcohol, sweet liquorice latte and even sweeter Icelandic guys. Yes, that’s also what Airwaves were about. If you look for a city full of inspiration, amazing art, perfect music and generous people, don’t look any further. Reykjavík is the right place!

More than three months later, I understood that Reykjavík is not only a great place to live, but it also is the right place for me. One evening, I replied to a very first housing offer in Reykjavík I liked. The next morning I was talking to a girl who was offering the place, however, she told me that she had already given the room to someone else. Since she was a very kind girl, she tried to come up with an idea and talked to her parents so they could find another solution. When she mentioned me to her dad, he right away said: A Slovak girl from Ríf? Dominika?! I know her! You may not believe it but my new roomie’s dad turned out to be one of those men who were shooting a movie in Ríf half a year ago. Life is unpredictable. But there is always a yellow light.