Danger is a Relative Thing

Even though this trip is 100% safe, it is very easy to forget how how easily something can possible go wrong. 

It's a good thing to be pushed out of your comfort zone. Over the span of this trip I have tried to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible. Whether it's trying rotten shark meat, or attempting some terrifying hike I try to be a good sport and always do it. 

There have been times where I have been very aware of the possible danger. The first time I have already talked about on this blog.  The hike up the mountain in Grundarfjörður got me pretty terrified. I I kept thinking "if I fall, then I will be severely injured or die". I knew it wasn't going to happen, but the possibility of t happening was intimidating. 

The next time was when we were looking at the puffins on those steep cliffs. I did every safety precaution to make sure I wasn't swept up by the wind and tossed off the cliff into the blue ocean way below. Laying down on the edge of the cliff just to look at some birds gave me a strange feeling of fear. 

I also had the same feeling when we were hiking near the Vatnajökull glacier. There was an outcrop that was a perfect lookout for the glacier. There was a path down to the peak that people had obviously used to get a better look at the glacier. Standing on the edge and looking over into the valley was another moment I felt uncomfortable. I thought: "If I fall off, I will die". Even though we are on safe  trail, it's easy to have thoughts like that. 

There was one time where I thought I was completely fine, but was actually not doing the smartest thing. We were on the pebbly beach and I had the overwhelming urge to let the waves tough my feet. So I took off my boots and walked a couple of feet ahead of me. The rocks felt amazing on my feet and I was waiting for a wave to make its way up to where I was standing when I heard a whistle coming from behind me. A woman then signaled me to get away from there in a very stern manner. I knew I was safe, but I didn't realize how potentially dangerous the situation was. 

Sometimes you just need an external reminder to be careful in your new surroundings.