A country I would like to visit

ICELAND

 

Since I was very, very young I have talked about exploring certain corners on the planet, such as the mountains of New Zealand, the castles of Scotland, and others. But the one I talked about the most without even knowing about it until a few years ago, was Iceland. It is what the traveling-poets describe; a call to what seems unknown, but it is as if your mind is flying there during the nights.

 

Iceland: Scandinavian island-country, founded more than 1000 years ago by Nordics coming mainly from Norway, and by others of Celtic and Viking mix. It's a place with a very particular geography and climate, due to being mostly mountains covered in snow or green, huge volcanoes and sea wherever you look. Constantly looking trough trees, rivers and huge forests is what draw me to this kind of spaces. The uncertainty of an adventure, walking, seeing and learning from nature; something that is very done and inspires on the island and the outside.

 

I have been involved in different spheres of aniaml and environment activism, the LGBTIA+ community and the arts. This country like a few others has worked a lot on these issues in recent years, alongside issues such as gender equality and aid to immigrants that scape from war zones in the East. Iceland`s policies have been a benchmark for many leaders in Europe and the United States such as Bernie Sanders when he talked about the January 2018 law that made it illegal to pay lower wages to women for the same work that a man does, and so, the USA should do the same. The population and institutions, distinctly open minded, have given strong support during important moments for the LGBT community, even displaying flags during pride month near religious places and main streets.

 

  

 

The arts are a tremendously important topic for me, something basic, and eventhough Iceland is not part of the cradles of cinema or music, it has a rich culture and of very striking origin. I spent years interested in the investigations of Celtic and Nordic peoples, as one of the oldest languages ​​"Futhark" has been transformed and even stopped its use, but like certain Nordic mystic elemnts it is still part of the beliefs and traditions. The stories that are told in the West have their direct roots with what they believed: the fierce green mountains and the explosive volcanoes covered in snow that dress the Island.

 

It is a place where many stories have been shot and inspired, Game of Thrones for example, filming important battle scenes; several projects that I would like to work on as a route, stopping in similar places around the world lead me to think that this place is an amazing way to work with. Folk music that is combined with songs and local crafts, and despite what is expected of it due to its origin, has almost no foundations or dyes with the European one, it is a society that has tried to be itself throughout history. It is a whole universe, a whole raw material that is born from natural and mystical sound art.

 

Definetely it would be one of the countries I would most like to visit and even explore for a while. Geographic center that gathers too many interests from music, politics, its vision on social dilemmas, its great open-mindedness and wonderful geography. A complete inspiration.