Where to go in iceland, Visit Iceland, iceland tours, iceland travels, iceland holidays, what to do in iceland, travel to iceland, iceland trips, iceland travel guide, iceland tourist attractions, iceland vacation, iceland sightseeing, where to stay in iceland, iceland activities, top thing to do in iceland, iceland destination, best iceland tours, thing to do in reykjavik, iceland vacation packages

Volunteering in Iceland

If you’ve ever wanted a meaningful holiday without breaking the bank, then volunteering is the solution. You not only get to know the locals well but you’ll also be contributing something of value to the country of your visit. Iceland is no exception as goedele vermeeren recounts how her first volunteering experience in iceland went…


There are many ways to experience iceland. you could go there as a tourist, or make a short stopover on the way to or from europe but if you really want to get to know the country, there is an interesting alternative: volunteering because volunteering is not only a great way to save money while traveling, but you also get to meet lots of people, and immerse yourself in the local culture in a way a ‘normal’ tourist wouldn’t be able to. Plus, you get to learn a lot; both about the work you do and about yourself.


The easiest way to volunteer somewhere is to contact someone via the internet. there are great websites to help you with this, like www.wwoof.org, www.helpx.netwww.seeds.is or www.workaway.info. Once you log on, you’ll be surprised to find these sites offering a long list of possible local hosts, even for a small country like iceland.

Goedele's experience

It all began when i contacted several families through the workaway-website weeks and months in advance of my trip. this is because the families on the site are overwhelmed daily with requests from volunteers everywhere. So when i found a family that was still looking for someone, i was unbelievable happy.


I did, however, feel a bit insecure, not knowing what the family would be like, and if i would like the work itself. i had never worked on a farm before by the way so i did have some doubts but these proved unnecessary, since everything turned out for the best afterwards.


I originally planned to stay with them for 6 weeks, as they had requested but in the end, i stayed for almost 3 months (september to december), and even then i was reluctant to leave. During that time, i was treated like a member of their family and together with another volunteer, they took us to family parties, dinners and outings; everything we, as volunteers, could wish for. It was really a pleasant experience, living under their roof, eating and working together. It also helped that the work we had to do on the farm was equally pleasant too. we started (and ended) most of our days with milking and feeding the cows, cleaning their shed, and feeding the sheep.


At other times, we worked out on the farm, shaving sheep or reining in cows that had broken loose and the best part of the gig was having free time sandwiched in between the milking, where we could do whatever we wanted.

It was also during this time that we went shopping in akureyri, indulged in some winter skiing, read some books or tried to learn some icelandic, which was really fun. to top it all off, the farm was located in a beautiful valley. We just had to step outside to witness the most amazing views and sights we had ever seen and fill our days with long scenic walks that would satisfy our souls.


So there you have it! my farmstay experience in iceland. If ever you reached a point where you don’t know what to do with your life, just take some months off and do some volunteering –in iceland, of course. Coming here as a volunteer was the wisest choice i ever made, since the experience was unlike any other. The time that i spent on the farm could probably be the best time i’ve ever had in my life and i will always remember the kind and generous people i’ve met there.


No doubt, i will probably visit them again when i return to iceland and i hope that it will be sooner rather than later.

bless, bless…
Goedele

Jóhanna
WhereToGoInIceland.blogspot.com
Julio 2014

Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on Google+

Related : Volunteering in Iceland

  • Þvörusleikir - Icelandic Yule Lads (December 15th)Þvörusleikir, it loosely means "Spoon Licker," but it really means "Pot Scraper Licker."Modern depictions of this Yule Lad show him as a very skinny guy licking a wooden ...
  • Christmas in IcelandIceland is a special place with an array of holiday traditions that are as unique as the island its self.In Iceland, the Christmas festivities start on December 24th and ...
  • What to Wear in Iceland in SpringSpring in Iceland is like spring in much of Europe and North America. Teasing warm days are interspersed with frigid wintry ones as the temperatures slowly rise. March s ...
  • Surfing in Iceland? Icelandic surf guide While surfers have been wandering the globe in search of perfect waves for a solid 50 years now, until recently, in order for a place to be considered a surfing mecca it ...
  • SkagafjörðurSkagafjörður is a wide fjord, maybe even a bay, in Northwest Iceland (not the Westfjords) which is home to the large town of Sauðárkrókur and some lovely natural surroun ...