I am so impressed with your talent for conveying information in such an interesting, entertaining way. You strike a nice balance between being factual and informative while also being personable and natural in your videos. ( I am forever amazed at TH-camrs who make sitting in front of a camera and talking to it as though they are talking directly to someone look so easy and effortless!) It is something not everyone can pull off and you do it very well. Thanks again for another great video!
Jewells, your packing list was such a great resource for us! We visited Iceland last year, and I listened to your podcast all through our flight into Reykjavik! Love from India!!
Thank you, Jewels, this is such a breath of fresh, so nice to listen to something to upbeat! Very interesting to learn about your experiences! Keep it up!
@@AllThingsIceland Dear Jewels, do you wish to meet with us, when we visit there? You seem amazing sunny person and time in Reykjavik would be more valuable with you around
We have the same driving test and process here in New Zealand and when I moved to Canada after a year I had to resit my license and get a local one. But all good. I found the weather issues a difference between Canada and the US. The Canadians seem to go out in all weather and enjoy no matter what, Winter is just as busy outside as Summer. I also learnt a lot about suitable clothing for the season and in New Zealand as with the UK it can rain a lot so a good raincoat is the best investment. Great hearing your experiences and how interesting Iceland seems.
@@saraleebakerson6911 maybe I will. My younger brother and father moved back a few years ago too. Well he was born in the states so I guess it was his first time.
You are so helpful. I'm Greek and I'm preparing to move there for studies for (hopefully) 2 years. I'm very anxious, but the country seems so pretty and it's people seem to be welcoming as heck. I have already binged some of your videos and learned so much. Seems a bit less scary now. Thank you.
Hey! Just discovered your channel last night and have been binge-watching ever since;) You´re just such a beautiful person inside and out and really fun to listen to:) I went to Iceland for a week last October, loved it & would be eager to go back this August. Love, Nadia
LOL the weather on that island is on another level. Plus, apparently, there are NO umbrellas in Iceland. If you didn't bring on with you as a visitor, you're ass out. Although that could just be in Reykjavik. But I take your point that perpetually dealing with horizontal rain requires other arrangements.
@@trojanpony point taken. I have experienced wind on Iceland so fierce you need to turn your head away from it to breathe comfortably. And the wind blew like that for a straight 24 hours. But I think visitors should try and cover all bases. Raincoats don't really protect your face. And I personally hate a wet cold face.
Simone Williamson Yeah, it’s pretty insane how windy it can get there! It’s honestly the biggest weather element that visitors need to take into account. Moreso than cold, rain, snow, etc.
I love how much poise and positivity you exude. I have no intention to move to Iceland but landed on your channel and couldn't unplug because of how well made the video is 😆
The driving license situation is the same in basically any other country as well. Usually, you get 6 months to a year to get a local license. Most people who move countries for the first time are surprised by this. I have to get a new license here in Germany as well and it's a pain. I have 15 years of experience. Some countries do have agreements with each other but mostly you're required to take some lessons and pass the exam.
Love your videos, Jewells! I just received the packing list email and have bookmarked it. We’re visiting next year and I’m beyond excited! I’ve been using the Drops app since last fall for 2 daily Icelandic lessons so your comments here about trying to learn the language were of special interest to me! Your positive upbeat energy and happy smile make your videos so fun to watch! Thanks!
as always, love your content. As someone who grew up the the -actual- Patagonia (the Argentinian side), when I went to Iceland, it felt more at home than my actual house. Couldn't believe how amazing that country is. Some day I'll move there and this video will be very helpful! lol
Glad to hear that you love my content. Thank you for saying that. It's awesome that you feel at home in Iceland and I hope that you are able to move here in the future.
I love your videos so much! I live in remote Alaska and I’m working on a plan to move to Iceland. There are so many similarities between the two places!
thanks for this -- hoping to be relocating to Iceland next month from Calif. for at least a year (for a long research project, and hoping to stay as long as they will let me!), so this advice is super-helpful -- very grateful! (especially re: the driving license!)
Your "wish list" is very good! If I had anything to add, I would say I wish I had been able to befriend an Icelander before I moved here. As a student, I was coming into contact with people from around the world but our experiences are different for obvious reasons. It would have been nice to know in advance what to expect when dealing with government agencies...the time I could have saved.
I was required to take lessons and exams to get an Ohio license even though I had been driving for 20 years and had a valid international driving license.So it is not just Iceland!
it's basically any other country as well. Most people who move countries for the first time are surprised by this. I have to get a new license here in Germany as well and it's a pain. I have 15 years of experience. Some countries do have agreements with each other but mostly you're required to take some lessons and pass the exam.
Thank you so much for your help with this - I'm brand new to your videos but of what I've seen, must say they're all fantastic! With all that's going on as of late, I've been wanting to leave the US on a more permanent basis, and have always worried about such as a Black woman, especially when it comes to more racially homogeneous areas like Scandinavia, etc. Your videos are so comforting, though, and a great help for someone like me who wants to stay as long as my passport will allow (I don't want to settle down anywhere yet, so I'll end up rotating between a few countries). Iceland's always been a desired visit so hearing your take is exciting! I hope being able to find friends, becoming a bit more familiar with the language, and feeling comfortable won't be too hard. :) Thank you for the handy checklist - can't wait to catch up on your site and all of your updates!
I totally get why someone would move to Iceland. And the challenge of learning a new language is, well, a challenge, but it’s also so cool! And regarding the driver’s license, yeah, it’s a pain in the ass. I’m from Israel and living in Spain, and it’s exactly the same for me. 😕
Amen! on the Round-A-Bouts... I live outside of Atlanta GA and we are just now getting roundabouts... 1 lane, instead of a 4 way stop sign.... and most folks are soooooo unaware of how they operate... Even though I feel extremely comfortable with the little roundabouts we have here.... I had the opportunity to "enjoy" the thrill ride which is the Icelandic roundabouts. We went on 2 Super Jeep tours and one other tour to the Black Sand beaches... Let me tell you.... as a passenger, sitting behind the tour guide as he took those roundabouts at high speeds with everyone else around you flying through the roundabouts at high speed.... I white knuckled it every time we went through one.... If I had to drive through one.... I know I would most likely fail my driving test....
Thanks so much for mentioning how easy and convenient it is to be vegan/plant-based in Iceland; I'm thinking about moving there to study and I was worried about whether or not Iceland would be a pretty vegan-friendly country! :))
You actually have to do that here in the states when you move to another state. Usually it’s NOT a driving test, just written so you are aware of laws in that new state. National average is you have 90 days after moving, to get or at least schedule your test….however NOT every state gives you 90 ….some are 60. I know this due to being a police dispatcher and running tags from allllll over the place lol
I love watching your videos and this is an incredibly well-made one. As a Nigerian who moved to Wales, UK (Also an incredibly beautiful country) for study purposes, I can definitely relate with SOME of your experiences. I really learnt a lot from this video and now I feel like visiting Iceland in the not-too-distant future. Pls do keep it up; your content is at once intelligent, informative and pleasantly goofy and it's rare to see such a combination. Cheers!! :-)
Aww, thank you for the lovely comment, Kayode. I'd love to hear which ones you relate to. Yay for wanting to visit Iceland. I hope you do because it is an awesome place. Cheers! ❤
@@AllThingsIceland Oh yes definitely. 1. Appreciating the sun: Coming from a mostly warm/hot country with abundant sunlight, Wales has taught me to be very appreciative of any sunny days we get. As beautiful as it is, it's a notoriously cloudy and rainy country and the past winter was one of the rainiest on record! While the weather is fine now, between October and April, sunny days were very few and far between indeed. Adjusting to that was a bit of a challenge. 2. The Language: Like you, I love to try new things! However, because the welsh language is a minority language within the United Kingdom and even in Wales itself, it can be incredibly hard to learn. Besides, one can get by with English anyway, so it requires great effort to actually learn as not many speak it. But it's an incredibly lovely Celtic language and I'm gonna keep trying! 3. Transferring money: Incredibly easy within the UK but a herculean task when trying to transfer to or even receive money from home. 4. Being a foreigner working for me: While there is a huge foreign presence in England, Wales is a pretty well-kept secret and I actually love being here because not many people make distorted assumptions about my being Black/African, so I'm able to positively contribute to the culture around me and offer interesting aspects of my personality that they haven't experienced before. I have felt very much welcome here and I know I'm very fortunate in that regard. Sorry this was so long, I hope you were able to read it to the end! :-)
@@kayodeaseweje6374 I will, I'm actually doing 4 months of studying in Iceland, starting in August. I'm so looking forward to it 😍 And Wales will be next year I guess :D
I'm currently learning Icelandic and also booked a three-week course in Ísafjördur for this August but honestly I find it so hard to find ways to speak Icelandic and not just listen, read or write because obviously I have no one to practice with...
This is the reason that not everybody stay here If you rent small room ,no weather and your friends are only imigrants like you You think rather to focus on English , I know a lot of people esp. Women who leave iceland coz integration not exist and only courses not help you to obey this sociality , you are always foreigner
I saw my first video of your yesterday and I immediately subscribed. 😄 I really enjoy your videos and learning about Iceland. I wanted to learn the language at university, but the course was just too late in the evening; I'd have been at home around 10pm. 🙁😄 But I wanna visit the country and I definitely will. It would be so cool if I randomly saw you to say HI since you seem so funny and also as a fellow black person (I just saw the video you did about that topic with Tabitha). 😄
Hey I just want to say I loved this video and you are absolutely beautiful.😊 I would love to visit Iceland.I wanted to ask if you possibly know of scholarships that let you study the language and culture for a year or so .Thanks
Hi Thuso, Thanks for the lovely comment. There might be other scholarships but the one that immediately comes to mind is the Fullbright grant to study here. You can find more information here - fulbright.is/
I’m delighted to hear that plant-based eaters will find such choices in Iceland! I was concerned that fish wound he so prevalent that my diet would be hard to achieve. My bags are one step closer to being packed!
Hey! We also moved to Iceland some time ago. It's a great place to live. But someone should tell us earlier something more about icelandic winters. :D Snow blizzards are killing us sometimes :D
Drivers license exchange without needing a test depends on reciprocal exchange agreements with other countries. For the USA and some other countries, it depends on the state you come from. I'm not sure if Iceland has exchange agreements with anything outside the EU / EEA. I'm not sure if NY state has exchange agreements either. So if you had for example moved to a state that has an exchange agreement with an EU country and you had gotten your license exchanged in that state, then moved to that EU country and swapped your license there for an EU license, you could have then moved to Iceland and swapped your EU license there for an Icelandic one. Although it was probably easier to just take the test, right? :)
When I add ppl on fb that I don’t actually know I just “follow” them I don’t actually send a friend request that way they can still have privacy and I can still see what they share publicly
So the driving lesson is like a driving test then. If the weather is safe I go out wherever I am, I’ve done the same in Iceland wen we went in the winter. Wen i became vegi and we went to Iceland we didn’t have many issues getting food but I eat fish and no meat. I could be wrong but I feel Icelandic is a bit like German. But I still found it hard even tho I spoke good German but 4got German now.
As someone who has been very interested in moving to Iceland, I always find your videos very helpful! Would love to know where to start in the process of moving over there! Citizenship? Buying a house??? Legal stuff??? What was the process like? Tips and tricks?
I'm glad you find my videos helpful. Great questions and I have been thinking about this. I'll that video idea on my list because a lot of the information is based on circumstances - like if you are in a relationship with an Icelander and so on.
I'm going to be visiting Iceland next year around this time. Coming from the United States and can't wait to experience your country. Flying in from Reykjavik and have 4 days. Any hidden jewels you can share?
Hi Jewells can you post a content on schooling? Is home schooling allowed? How do parents moving to iceland with secondary/ High school children manage schooling as most of the schooling in iceland? How about the college?
@@AllThingsIceland both would be great..if not strictly Icelandic would be fine I think that's a better way of learning a language. Sometimes subtitles can be a distraction.
Great video. Maybe you equated “foreigner” with not advantageous because your from America and how that word is perceived there. Are you able to get dual citizenship?
Yea. I think I that definitely has played a role. I can't speak for every nationality but I do think people from the U.S. are, in general, well received here. Yes, I am able to get it.
I’m willing to visit Iceland with my grandmother soon, and maybe i would love to move for good to Iceland 🇮🇸 or Norway 🇳🇴; do you have any advice about both countries please? I’m born in Belgium 🇧🇪 by the way...
I have only visited Norway, so I can't speak on what it is like to live there but it is a lovely country to visit. Both are interesting for different reasons. Norway is, of course, much larger and there is a big variety of things you can do in the city and in nature. While Reykjavík is a nice city, it is quite small. Going outside of the city is where a lot of the magic is. The nature here is amazing. Depending on your grandmother's physical abilities, Norway might have more accessible areas built into its society. Iceland is ok with this but is working on improving.
@@AllThingsIceland Thank you very much for this very detailed explanation, it's very nice. What i like most about you, is your totally natural side when you explain things. Real emotions, real experiences, real feelings and details to help us better understand the country. You really made me want to love more this amazing country, and yes it's true that Icelandic hospitality is particularly warm in such a cold located country 🇮🇸. I started to learn Icelandic, it is not easy, but here we speak Dutch and German which is very similar to Norwegian. However, with the will we can learn any language. For now i would say this : "Ég tala ekki íslensku ennþá"
Could you do a info video about what you mean that the language is an “old” language. Give examples of what you mean. What makes the language difficult. What do you mean? I thank you in advance for attempting the challenge.
I read once that the Icelanders speak the same ninth century Norse their ancestors spoke when they discovered Iceland with Eric The Red. Iceland was isolated until the forties, I believe. The Gov’t had made an attempt to ‘regulate’ their ancient language but that would seem impossible in this day of computers & social networks.
Let's be honest here..... We learn Icelandic in school throughout our whole tenure in manditory studies and many.....MANY of us do not even speak it correctly.....
Let's not even start with the writing....... just forget it......literally 12 different ways to say and write every single verb.... and then we have all the rules with the nouns and adjectives.....its a mess actually
It is the same here in the U.S.. People come here from other countries having learned perfect English and I am completely in shock at how badly I speak it as a native.
There are stores that have a variety of organic foods. They are called Hagkaup, Nettó, Krónan has some, the heatlh food store and Veganbúðin (The vegan market). That is what comes to mind. The whole stores are not organic but they do have an ok variety.
You can find turkish ,Asian and polish shops better stuff about vegetables , some vegan patee, groats, seeds Haug up I not recommend coz expensive like he'll Bonus ,kronan are cheaper but not too much healthy varietes
Total side point but I’d like to hear you speak Icelandic just cuz if you can speak it then that encourages me to go there. I’ve heard Icelanders speak but if an American can just pick it up then I’ll feel more confident.
I'm looking for a American to teach me Icelandic . I have a farm I own in Iceland with a friend. I am so trying to learn the language but having a horrible time.
WHAT ABOUT FRUITS?? I’m more on the raw vegan side. I make mostly fresh squeezed juice as it’s detoxifying for the lymphatic system & helps with health issues. And just cus something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy, but it’s great to know they have vegan food!! Are fruits even available year round? Prob very limited choice??
Yes, fruits are available year round. Definitely not as many as what I had access to in the US. One big issue is the freshness of the fruits can be questionable.
How long/expensive would a full driver’s training from start to finish take? (A bit expensive here in 🇨🇭 and never needed one thanks to great public transport) It’s going to be interesting to learn Icelandic as a native swiss-german speaker
A major one is not taking off your shoes before entering someone's house. It is possible that the person will tell you that you don't have to but it is best to always assume that you should. Another is not showering naked with soap before going into the swimming pool. Those are just off the top of my head. Iceland is mostly laid back but somethings are quite important. They do realize that foreigners might not know this, so they will forgive and inform you about it, but it would be quite strange if a native did one of those.
I’m loving getting to know your channel, perhaps it’s time to consider becoming pescatarian 🍤🍣🦪🍱 all vitamin D supplements and injections are derived from fish and id be shocked if you don’t need vitamin D supplements at some point
I am so impressed with your talent for conveying information in such an interesting, entertaining way. You strike a nice balance between being factual and informative while also being personable and natural in your videos. ( I am forever amazed at TH-camrs who make sitting in front of a camera and talking to it as though they are talking directly to someone look so easy and effortless!) It is something not everyone can pull off and you do it very well. Thanks again for another great video!
Aww, thank you for the lovely comment. It means a lot to hear you say that. I truly enjoy making these videos and I'm glad that you enjoy them too. ❤
Jewells, your packing list was such a great resource for us! We visited Iceland last year, and I listened to your podcast all through our flight into Reykjavik! Love from India!!
I could listen to her all day
Thank you, Jewels, this is such a breath of fresh, so nice to listen to something to upbeat! Very interesting to learn about your experiences! Keep it up!
Thanks for watching and commenting, Helgi. Yea, I felt like I needed to allow myself to have some fun. :-)
@@AllThingsIceland Dear Jewels, do you wish to meet with us, when we visit there? You seem amazing sunny person and time in Reykjavik would be more valuable with you around
Vegetarian/vegan options are really important! Thank you for covering this topic. Best wishes to you with your study of the Icelandic language!
Thank you so much!!
We have the same driving test and process here in New Zealand and when I moved to Canada after a year I had to resit my license and get a local one. But all good. I found the weather issues a difference between Canada and the US. The Canadians seem to go out in all weather and enjoy no matter what, Winter is just as busy outside as Summer. I also learnt a lot about suitable clothing for the season and in New Zealand as with the UK it can rain a lot so a good raincoat is the best investment. Great hearing your experiences and how interesting Iceland seems.
Always enjoy your interesting insights. Keep the good work!
Thanks for watching and the lovely comment. :-)
I’ve wondered how it would be to move back to Iceland after 30 years. I’d be a a Icelander and foreigner at the same time.
Yea, that is interesting. Do you want to move back?
Where do you live now?
my mom moved back after 50 years n did great
@@saraleebakerson6911 maybe I will. My younger brother and father moved back a few years ago too. Well he was born in the states so I guess it was his first time.
You are so helpful. I'm Greek and I'm preparing to move there for studies for (hopefully) 2 years. I'm very anxious, but the country seems so pretty and it's people seem to be welcoming as heck. I have already binged some of your videos and learned so much. Seems a bit less scary now. Thank you.
Yay for moving to Iceland! I'm so glad that you find the videos helpful. Good luck with your move.
Such a positive mindset about learning the language!
Hey! Just discovered your channel last night and have been binge-watching ever since;)
You´re just such a beautiful person inside and out and really fun to listen to:) I went to Iceland for a week last October, loved it & would be eager to go back this August. Love, Nadia
So glad to hear that you enjoy the videos. Thank you for watching.
Hi Jewells, your videos have truly been amazing! I have been watching lots of them in preparation of my trip in August. Hope I can see you there!
LOL the weather on that island is on another level. Plus, apparently, there are NO umbrellas in Iceland. If you didn't bring on with you as a visitor, you're ass out. Although that could just be in Reykjavik. But I take your point that perpetually dealing with horizontal rain requires other arrangements.
There’s a reason there’s no umbrellas. It’s too windy - they would be getting constantly wrecked. You’re much better off with a really good raincoat.
@@trojanpony point taken. I have experienced wind on Iceland so fierce you need to turn your head away from it to breathe comfortably. And the wind blew like that for a straight 24 hours. But I think visitors should try and cover all bases. Raincoats don't really protect your face. And I personally hate a wet cold face.
Simone Williamson Yeah, it’s pretty insane how windy it can get there! It’s honestly the biggest weather element that visitors need to take into account. Moreso than cold, rain, snow, etc.
ALSO, learning any new language after the age of about 7 makes it waaaay harder. Plus, pple learn English there when they’re young.
Your videos just popped up. I’m glad I watched some of them. You have a new subscriber.
I love how much poise and positivity you exude. I have no intention to move to Iceland but landed on your channel and couldn't unplug because of how well made the video is 😆
Aww, thank you so much. Glad you are enjoying the videos. 😊
The driving license situation is the same in basically any other country as well. Usually, you get 6 months to a year to get a local license. Most people who move countries for the first time are surprised by this. I have to get a new license here in Germany as well and it's a pain. I have 15 years of experience.
Some countries do have agreements with each other but mostly you're required to take some lessons and pass the exam.
It was so warm when I was in Reykjavik last May/June (2019). I was shocked. Loved it. ☺️
We were so fortunate because last summer was one of the best in so many years. Glad you got to experience that.
Love your videos, Jewells! I just received the packing list email and have bookmarked it. We’re visiting next year and I’m beyond excited! I’ve been using the Drops app since last fall for 2 daily Icelandic lessons so your comments here about trying to learn the language were of special interest to me! Your positive upbeat energy and happy smile make your videos so fun to watch! Thanks!
Yay for getting the packing list and learning Icelandic! You're going to be so prepared for your trip. 🙂 Thank you for the lovely comment.
as always, love your content. As someone who grew up the the -actual- Patagonia (the Argentinian side), when I went to Iceland, it felt more at home than my actual house. Couldn't believe how amazing that country is. Some day I'll move there and this video will be very helpful! lol
Glad to hear that you love my content. Thank you for saying that. It's awesome that you feel at home in Iceland and I hope that you are able to move here in the future.
Hello,
I am new to your channel. I really enjoyed this video. You're a natural in front of the camera.
Your very informative about Iceland I really love your channel
Man you were smart and fortunate to move to Iceland in 2016. ( it is absolutely bonkers out here in the USA, as I am sure you've seen.
Yea, I'm astonished at how terrible it has gotten in the USA, especially in the last week.
I love your videos so much! I live in remote Alaska and I’m working on a plan to move to Iceland. There are so many similarities between the two places!
Hard to believe it's been 4 years, I still remember your party. 😊
Right?! Time has flown by.
thanks for this -- hoping to be relocating to Iceland next month from Calif. for at least a year (for a long research project, and hoping to stay as long as they will let me!), so this advice is super-helpful -- very grateful! (especially re: the driving license!)
What kind of research, Laura? How's it going there?
@@Ephesians5-14 environmental history -- and so happy to be here!
Your "wish list" is very good! If I had anything to add, I would say I wish I had been able to befriend an Icelander before I moved here. As a student, I was coming into contact with people from around the world but our experiences are different for obvious reasons. It would have been nice to know in advance what to expect when dealing with government agencies...the time I could have saved.
Great points! Thanks for watching and commenting.
I was required to take lessons and exams to get an Ohio license even though I had been driving for 20 years and had a valid international driving license.So it is not just Iceland!
it's basically any other country as well. Most people who move countries for the first time are surprised by this. I have to get a new license here in Germany as well and it's a pain. I have 15 years of experience.
Some countries do have agreements with each other but mostly you're required to take some lessons and pass the exam.
Thank you so much for your help with this - I'm brand new to your videos but of what I've seen, must say they're all fantastic! With all that's going on as of late, I've been wanting to leave the US on a more permanent basis, and have always worried about such as a Black woman, especially when it comes to more racially homogeneous areas like Scandinavia, etc. Your videos are so comforting, though, and a great help for someone like me who wants to stay as long as my passport will allow (I don't want to settle down anywhere yet, so I'll end up rotating between a few countries). Iceland's always been a desired visit so hearing your take is exciting! I hope being able to find friends, becoming a bit more familiar with the language, and feeling comfortable won't be too hard. :) Thank you for the handy checklist - can't wait to catch up on your site and all of your updates!
Glad to hear that the videos are helpful. Thanks for commenting and watching.
Jewels, love your energy!!!
Thank you!!!
I totally get why someone would move to Iceland. And the challenge of learning a new language is, well, a challenge, but it’s also so cool!
And regarding the driver’s license, yeah, it’s a pain in the ass. I’m from Israel and living in Spain, and it’s exactly the same for me. 😕
Enjoying your video...but also chuckling a lot... this sounds exactly like Seattle and British Columbia.
This is so useful 😃 thank you
My pleasure. 😊
Amen! on the Round-A-Bouts... I live outside of Atlanta GA and we are just now getting roundabouts... 1 lane, instead of a 4 way stop sign.... and most folks are soooooo unaware of how they operate...
Even though I feel extremely comfortable with the little roundabouts we have here.... I had the opportunity to "enjoy" the thrill ride which is the Icelandic roundabouts. We went on 2 Super Jeep tours and one other tour to the Black Sand beaches... Let me tell you.... as a passenger, sitting behind the tour guide as he took those roundabouts at high speeds with everyone else around you flying through the roundabouts at high speed.... I white knuckled it every time we went through one.... If I had to drive through one.... I know I would most likely fail my driving test....
😂
Great Video, Thanks! Can you do a video on daily Icelandic dishes the locals make a home? Maybe even make a dish?
Great idea. I might have to get someone else to join me because I only make plant based meals.
You'd be disappointed
@@007speedcuber Why is that?
@@AllThingsIceland We are not a "food people", most traditional icelandic foods are things foreigners would find disgusting
Not at all! I’m Indian and absolutely loved Icelandic food!
Thanks so much for mentioning how easy and convenient it is to be vegan/plant-based in Iceland; I'm thinking about moving there to study and I was worried about whether or not Iceland would be a pretty vegan-friendly country! :))
Yay! Glad that helped. It has changed so much over the years. It's been a pleasant surprise that it is so easy to be vegan here.
You actually have to do that here in the states when you move to another state. Usually it’s NOT a driving test, just written so you are aware of laws in that new state. National average is you have 90 days after moving, to get or at least schedule your test….however NOT every state gives you 90 ….some are 60. I know this due to being a police dispatcher and running tags from allllll over the place lol
I love watching your videos and this is an incredibly well-made one. As a Nigerian who moved to Wales, UK (Also an incredibly beautiful country) for study purposes, I can definitely relate with SOME of your experiences. I really learnt a lot from this video and now I feel like visiting Iceland in the not-too-distant future. Pls do keep it up; your content is at once intelligent, informative and pleasantly goofy and it's rare to see such a combination. Cheers!! :-)
Aww, thank you for the lovely comment, Kayode. I'd love to hear which ones you relate to. Yay for wanting to visit Iceland. I hope you do because it is an awesome place. Cheers! ❤
@@AllThingsIceland Oh yes definitely. 1. Appreciating the sun: Coming from a mostly warm/hot country with abundant sunlight, Wales has taught me to be very appreciative of any sunny days we get. As beautiful as it is, it's a notoriously cloudy and rainy country and the past winter was one of the rainiest on record! While the weather is fine now, between October and April, sunny days were very few and far between indeed. Adjusting to that was a bit of a challenge. 2. The Language: Like you, I love to try new things! However, because the welsh language is a minority language within the United Kingdom and even in Wales itself, it can be incredibly hard to learn. Besides, one can get by with English anyway, so it requires great effort to actually learn as not many speak it. But it's an incredibly lovely Celtic language and I'm gonna keep trying! 3. Transferring money: Incredibly easy within the UK but a herculean task when trying to transfer to or even receive money from home. 4. Being a foreigner working for me: While there is a huge foreign presence in England, Wales is a pretty well-kept secret and I actually love being here because not many people make distorted assumptions about my being Black/African, so I'm able to positively contribute to the culture around me and offer interesting aspects of my personality that they haven't experienced before. I have felt very much welcome here and I know I'm very fortunate in that regard. Sorry this was so long, I hope you were able to read it to the end! :-)
@@kayodeaseweje6374
Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I've always wanted to visit Wales and now I'm even more convinced :)
@@Rain-oy5on Oh I'm glad, please do! Visit Iceland too!
@@kayodeaseweje6374 I will, I'm actually doing 4 months of studying in Iceland, starting in August. I'm so looking forward to it 😍 And Wales will be next year I guess :D
Wow One of the best countries . I even made a video about Iceland 🇮🇸
I'm currently learning Icelandic and also booked a three-week course in Ísafjördur for this August but honestly I find it so hard to find ways to speak Icelandic and not just listen, read or write because obviously I have no one to practice with...
This is the reason that not everybody stay here
If you rent small room ,no weather and your friends are only imigrants like you
You think rather to focus on English , I know a lot of people esp. Women who leave iceland coz integration not exist and only courses not help you to obey this sociality , you are always foreigner
I saw my first video of your yesterday and I immediately subscribed. 😄 I really enjoy your videos and learning about Iceland.
I wanted to learn the language at university, but the course was just too late in the evening; I'd have been at home around 10pm. 🙁😄 But I wanna visit the country and I definitely will. It would be so cool if I randomly saw you to say HI since you seem so funny and also as a fellow black person (I just saw the video you did about that topic with Tabitha). 😄
Hey I just want to say I loved this video and you are absolutely beautiful.😊 I would love to visit Iceland.I wanted to ask if you possibly know of scholarships that let you study the language and culture for a year or so .Thanks
Hi Thuso, Thanks for the lovely comment. There might be other scholarships but the one that immediately comes to mind is the Fullbright grant to study here. You can find more information here - fulbright.is/
All Things Iceland Thank you 🙏🏾I will look into it
Awesome to know Iceland has a lot of vegan options. I'm glad that there are black vegan women there as well. Cheers to you! Woot woot!
Yes, it is such a relief. Thanks. 🤗
That's great! I also want to move to Iceland！💞
Please don't be mean. She's trying to be informative to the outside world who don't know Icelandic. 🤗💞🎀
I’m delighted to hear that plant-based eaters will find such choices in Iceland! I was concerned that fish wound he so prevalent that my diet would be hard to achieve. My bags are one step closer to being packed!
Woohoo!
Wonderful video ❤️❤️❤️🇮🇸
Thank you!!!
Hey! We also moved to Iceland some time ago. It's a great place to live. But someone should tell us earlier something more about icelandic winters. :D Snow blizzards are killing us sometimes :D
LOL yea the blizzards do suck and they were worse this year than in a long time. Well, depending on where you live.
I checked that out, and the wind! WOW!
Drivers license exchange without needing a test depends on reciprocal exchange agreements with other countries. For the USA and some other countries, it depends on the state you come from. I'm not sure if Iceland has exchange agreements with anything outside the EU / EEA. I'm not sure if NY state has exchange agreements either.
So if you had for example moved to a state that has an exchange agreement with an EU country and you had gotten your license exchanged in that state, then moved to that EU country and swapped your license there for an EU license, you could have then moved to Iceland and swapped your EU license there for an Icelandic one. Although it was probably easier to just take the test, right? :)
Could you make a packing for moving to Iceland video
When I add ppl on fb that I don’t actually know I just “follow” them I don’t actually send a friend request that way they can still have privacy and I can still see what they share publicly
Jewel, watching Trapped on Prime video. Any other great shows you can recommend.
I don't watch a lot of television but I heard The Valhalla Murders is good.
@@AllThingsIceland They are good.
I love your videos! I’m a trans woman from St. Louis Missouri and I’m always dreaming of visiting Iceland. It looks like such a beautiful country! 😄
Thank you!! I truly hope you visit one day. It is a lovely place. ❤
All Things Iceland No problem! Me too! Lol ❤️🙏
So the driving lesson is like a driving test then. If the weather is safe I go out wherever I am, I’ve done the same in Iceland wen we went in the winter. Wen i became vegi and we went to Iceland we didn’t have many issues getting food but I eat fish and no meat. I could be wrong but I feel Icelandic is a bit like German. But I still found it hard even tho I spoke good German but 4got German now.
Regarding the weather, do you find the summers in the US too hot now that you're used to Iceland's temps?
Yes! I was in NYC during July and I was roasting. It was unbelievable to me that people were just walking casually outside in 90 degree weather. 😓
I'm moving to Iceland in less than a month to be an Aupair and I'm just trying to absorb as much information from your videos as I can hahaha
😊
As someone who has been very interested in moving to Iceland, I always find your videos very helpful! Would love to know where to start in the process of moving over there! Citizenship? Buying a house??? Legal stuff??? What was the process like? Tips and tricks?
I'm glad you find my videos helpful. Great questions and I have been thinking about this. I'll that video idea on my list because a lot of the information is based on circumstances - like if you are in a relationship with an Icelander and so on.
I'm feeling the same! Hoping to move there in a couple years and hope to get as much info as possible 😊
I'm going to be visiting Iceland next year around this time. Coming from the United States and can't wait to experience your country. Flying in from Reykjavik and have 4 days. Any hidden jewels you can share?
try transferwise for cheap quick international money transfers
I was going to say the same that’s what I use between Iceland and USA and vice versa .
Hi Jewells can you post a content on schooling? Is home schooling allowed? How do parents moving to iceland with secondary/ High school children manage schooling as most of the schooling in iceland? How about the college?
Jewels, do you speak the Icelandic language? How difficult is it to learn???
My Icelandic is ok. I'm still learning it. Icelandic is fairly difficult to learn. The grammar is the hardest part.
Hi just stumbled across your channel can you make a video recommending good Icelandic tv shows and or movies?
Hi! Trapped is really good and Valhalla Murders. Do you want shows that are in English or in Icelandic?
@@AllThingsIceland both would be great..if not strictly Icelandic would be fine I think that's a better way of learning a language. Sometimes subtitles can be a distraction.
And thank you for responding. Have a great day. Btw I watched Fortitude it was really good.
I want to go there
Great video.
Maybe you equated “foreigner” with not advantageous because your from America and how that word is perceived there.
Are you able to get dual citizenship?
Yea. I think I that definitely has played a role. I can't speak for every nationality but I do think people from the U.S. are, in general, well received here. Yes, I am able to get it.
I’m from Savannah Georgia
Lol horizontal rain :D
I’m willing to visit Iceland with my grandmother soon, and maybe i would love to move for good to Iceland 🇮🇸 or Norway 🇳🇴; do you have any advice about both countries please? I’m born in Belgium 🇧🇪 by the way...
I have only visited Norway, so I can't speak on what it is like to live there but it is a lovely country to visit. Both are interesting for different reasons. Norway is, of course, much larger and there is a big variety of things you can do in the city and in nature. While Reykjavík is a nice city, it is quite small. Going outside of the city is where a lot of the magic is. The nature here is amazing. Depending on your grandmother's physical abilities, Norway might have more accessible areas built into its society. Iceland is ok with this but is working on improving.
@@AllThingsIceland Thank you very much for this very detailed explanation, it's very nice. What i like most about you, is your totally natural side when you explain things. Real emotions, real experiences, real feelings and details to help us better understand the country. You really made me want to love more this amazing country, and yes it's true that Icelandic hospitality is particularly warm in such a cold located country 🇮🇸. I started to learn Icelandic, it is not easy, but here we speak Dutch and German which is very similar to Norwegian. However, with the will we can learn any language. For now i would say this : "Ég tala ekki íslensku ennþá"
Could you do a info video about what you mean that the language is an “old” language. Give examples of what you mean. What makes the language difficult. What do you mean?
I thank you in advance for attempting the challenge.
I do have that on my list of ideas. 😊
There is a channel about languages. This link covers Icelandic with other languages. th-cam.com/video/onduQjgAj8Y/w-d-xo.html
I read once that the Icelanders speak the same ninth century Norse their ancestors spoke when they discovered Iceland with Eric The Red. Iceland was isolated until the forties, I believe. The Gov’t had made an attempt to ‘regulate’ their ancient language but that would seem impossible in this day of computers & social networks.
it would be nice if you had like a video recording
There are tons on YT. I checked out the poverty, prison, and the weather.
Let's be honest here..... We learn Icelandic in school throughout our whole tenure in manditory studies and many.....MANY of us do not even speak it correctly.....
Let's not even start with the writing....... just forget it......literally 12 different ways to say and write every single verb.... and then we have all the rules with the nouns and adjectives.....its a mess actually
@@raggionice Yup. LOL
It is the same here in the U.S.. People come here from other countries having learned perfect English and I am completely in shock at how badly I speak it as a native.
I guess tanning booths are popular.
Are there any like organic stores in Iceland? Like Whole Foods here in America?
There are stores that have a variety of organic foods. They are called Hagkaup, Nettó, Krónan has some, the heatlh food store and Veganbúðin (The vegan market). That is what comes to mind. The whole stores are not organic but they do have an ok variety.
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing, and thank you for sharing such good content about such a beautiful country.
You can find turkish ,Asian and polish shops better stuff about vegetables , some vegan patee, groats, seeds
Haug up I not recommend coz expensive like he'll
Bonus ,kronan are cheaper but not too much healthy varietes
Total side point but I’d like to hear you speak Icelandic just cuz if you can speak it then that encourages me to go there. I’ve heard Icelanders speak but if an American can just pick it up then I’ll feel more confident.
I'm looking for a American to teach me Icelandic . I have a farm I own in Iceland with a friend. I am so trying to learn the language but having a horrible time.
House tour? Quarantine edition
LOL we live in a small space, so I don't know how exciting that would be.
WHAT ABOUT FRUITS?? I’m more on the raw vegan side. I make mostly fresh squeezed juice as it’s detoxifying for the lymphatic system & helps with health issues. And just cus something is vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy, but it’s great to know they have vegan food!! Are fruits even available year round? Prob very limited choice??
Yes, fruits are available year round. Definitely not as many as what I had access to in the US. One big issue is the freshness of the fruits can be questionable.
I've lived here for 20 years and I still don't have a driver's license
LOL
I alsow not change if mine is valid for all life I not change for have only 5years or10
Is it easier to buy stuff online from Britain??
That is an option but the shipping and import cost can still be a lot.
How long/expensive would a full driver’s training from start to finish take? (A bit expensive here in 🇨🇭 and never needed one thanks to great public transport)
It’s going to be interesting to learn Icelandic as a native swiss-german speaker
I want to hear about these faux pas.
A major one is not taking off your shoes before entering someone's house. It is possible that the person will tell you that you don't have to but it is best to always assume that you should. Another is not showering naked with soap before going into the swimming pool. Those are just off the top of my head. Iceland is mostly laid back but somethings are quite important. They do realize that foreigners might not know this, so they will forgive and inform you about it, but it would be quite strange if a native did one of those.
People from Houston and Virginia will never get a license in Iceland.
Lovely woman
You should learn Norwegian Juls. Instead of "th" you say "d" and you don't pronounce the last consonant. And texas means chaos.
😂😂😂 “Texas means chaos”, made me laugh out loud.
"Super annoying and unnecessary" hahahahaha :)
LOL it is!! 🙃
I’m loving getting to know your channel, perhaps it’s time to consider becoming pescatarian 🍤🍣🦪🍱 all vitamin D supplements and injections are derived from fish and id be shocked if you don’t need vitamin D supplements at some point