Góðan daginn, everyone! My name is Magna Goodman. My dad is Icelandic and my mom is Chinese. My dream to go on the Snorri Program was planted by my sister who still fondly reminisces about her Snorri adventure from five years ago. When June 8th finally came, I felt so nervous because this was my first solo trip and first international flight. Those feelings of anxiety subsided as I found that most of my fellow Snorris were also on their first solo trip. Our collective nervousness quickly turned into the excited anticipation of bonding and experiencing our common ancestral homeland together.
The midnight sun epitomized this surreal experience, and even now I miss the feeling of daylight at night. There were countless nights of staying up with newly found friends and family because the sun was so bright. To me, the perpetual sunlight symbolizes how our Icelandic heritage is a seamless bond with the past, present, and future. The active eruption of volcanoes upon our arrival, and throughout our 5-week stay, further symbolizes how our Icelandic nature “goes with the flow”. The common Icelandic refrain – Þetta Reddast – aptly sums up the easygoing adaptation to unexpected events outside of our control. I find that I now mutter “Þetta Reddast” whenever I feel overwhelmed, soothed by the mantra not to worry, that everything will turn out ok! The power of Iceland as a country of fire and ice, and the strength of the nation to adapt and survive, sure put our worries into perspective.
Family heritage has always been a keen interest, which is why I pursued an education in Family Studies. Being of mixed ethnicity, going to Iceland was my link to self-discovery and learning about my extended family. The Snorri program allowed me to make more connections than I otherwise could have by myself. Joining Icelandic communities in Canada and in North America gives me a sense of belonging.
Throughout the trip, I hoped that my ancestors and parents would be proud of me for exploring and rediscovering my roots. In particular, I found that being physically in Iceland made me closer to my dad. Both his parents were 100% Icelandic and born in Selkirk, Manitoba, but never got a chance to visit Iceland. I wish I knew my grandparents more, and the Snorri program has accomplished that. There are traditional recipes and sayings that were familiar because of them, and I can only fully understand them now that I have experienced Iceland. It is a surreal feeling going to places that my ancestors called home. At times I was homesick, but I often reminded myself that this is miniscule compared to my ancestors who permanently left behind a familiar culture, language, and family, and never got to go back to this beautiful country - so I did it for them. It is an extreme honor, and I hope they are proud of me for embodying the courage, inquisitiveness, and quest to uphold our Icelandic heritage across nations.
I would never have been able to go on the Snorri Program without scholarships. To me, scholarships are more than just about the financial support. More significantly, the Snorri grants are about the social and emotional support, where people sign up to join their local Icelandic club or to provide generous donations, driven by a strong desire for new generations to keep the Icelandic heritage alive. Additionally, I had to gather references, which showed me how much they supported me in this journey of self-discovery. I am just a student still learning about life, yet people take the chance on me and want me to flourish. It is thanks to this immense support that I am confident in my abilities to live life to the fullest and do my best to give back.
Specifically, I greatly appreciate the Snorri grant from Icelandic Roots, and especially its Icelandic Roots database. As the North American database version of the Íslendingabók, it opened conversations and allowed me to spend quality time with my host family to investigate our family together. We also saw the Borðeyri plaque. It’s great to see the Icelandic and North American bond so strong. On the plaque it says, “Strong is the bond” which I put in my Snorri presentation on the last day of the program because it aptly represents the bond between Iceland and the North American Icelanders. I plan to keep this bond strong by remaining involved in Icelandic Roots. Takk fyrir, Icelandic Roots!
The Snorri trip was a dream come true for me, and this alone crossed off a ton of items from my bucket list. What I’m most grateful for is how the Snorri Program brings families together. I would not have met these wonderful new cousins I have, my host family, or my fellow Snorris. My host family and I were completely unaware of each other until Snorri made it possible. I also would not have been able to meet the president of Iceland or go to the American embassy without Snorri.
From June 9th to June 21st, we stayed in Reykjavik. I remember how bright the sun was throughout the entire trip, especially when first landing in Iceland. This was the first indication that I would be on a journey to not only discover who I was and where I came from, but also a discovery of my Icelandic family, country, community, and global cousins. It was as if my eyes were opened for the first time, revealing new discoveries every moment I was there. I never get freckles but my “Icelandic genes kicked in” and now I still have freckles, a constant reminder of my roots.
In Reykjavik, we had Icelandic classes at the University of Iceland. There were multiple guest lecturers who taught us about Iceland’s economy, geography, history, and folklore. I thoroughly enjoyed every day of those lessons, with a deep appreciation of the country. I especially found it helpful to navigate Iceland through the adventure tour where I applied my new knowledge about geology to the sights. I loved going to cafés and exploring the city with my fellow Snorris. As I got to spend more time with them, I discovered how wonderful and well accomplished they are. I admire every one of them, and I can’t help but think how we all subscribe to the Icelandic culture of becoming well-rounded in our lives.
During my homestay, where the Snorri Program links each participant with a long-lost relative, I learned about my Afi’s side of the family. This was a huge privilege because I had only known about my Amma’s side of the family. I stayed with my dad’s third cousin, so her children were my fourth cousins. I stayed at their gorgeous house in the suburbs of Reykjavik. During this time, I hiked with my host sister at Úlfarsfell. She also took me to the Reykyavik zoo, where I saw seals up close for the first time - which is one of my favourite animals! It was so interesting to see all the Icelandic animals there, as it gave me insight to the animal life in the country. I went on a day tour bus for the South Coast and saw all the iconic waterfalls and the “black sand beach”, Reynisfjara. I also went to the Jónsi exhibition at the Reykjavik Art Museum with my host mom, which was a delightful display of raw human nature through music and nature. I would define the homestay as a “cultural exchange” as this is where I can participate in and observe the Icelandic culture. While I certainly learned immensely from the university lectures and classes with my fellow Snorris, I was alone during the homestay which made me become fully immersed in the culture. I felt really awkward to go to my homestay, but my host mom and her family treated me like close family despite being a distant relative and stranger.
For my homestay period, I volunteered at 66 North, which was an amazing way to see Icelanders going about their daily lives. My manager was an outstanding, hardworking woman who made this placement possible. The two other Snorri volunteers made it more enjoyable. You become really close with your fellow Snorris because you spend lots of time together, and this enabled us to cultivate the Icelandic bond beyond family ties. I felt really involved in Icelandic culture by learning about the evolution of one of Iceland’s top brands, and its rich history in the country. There was definitely a huge language barrier between customers and myself, but I became more confident the more I worked. I still carry these skills to communicate despite language limitations, to gain a sense of humour, and to foster camaraderie, allowing me to feel more prepared for future experiences.
This year, the Snorri Program went to the Westfjords for the adventure tour. The adventure tour is at the end of the trip where we take a bus and stay at different hostels each night and do many activities during the day. This was a wonderful time where I got to see more of the beauty of Iceland. We saw many whales, seals, puffins, and we rode Icelandic horses. We hiked at Glymur, which is the second tallest waterfall in Iceland. We went through Stykkishólmur, Patreksfjörður, ĺsafjörður, Hvammstangi, and Hofsós. These destinations, as well as the travel between sites, were absolutely stunning. There will never be a trip that will top this one. Each Snorri participant made a presentation for the last day. At the beginning of the adventure tour, I had bought a puffin keychain which we all agreed on the name “Muffin”. For my presentation, I included a photo of each Snorri holding Muffin the Puffin, each at an iconic site that represented Iceland. It was heartwarming to see how each Snorri perceived their trip, leaving us all in tears as we reminisced about our time together. What this last day showed us was that the Snorri Program truly does strengthen our Icelandic bonds across nations.
The majority of the Snorris left on July 14th but I stayed behind for another week to stay with the host family my sister had when she was a Snorri in 2019. Sóley and Einar hosted many Snorris and I am extremely privileged to have been amongst them. They are extremely knowledgeable and are very proud of their country. I learned so much about sagas and the history of Iceland, especially the evolution of its laws when we went to Þingvellir, Iceland’s oldest parliament. I got to explore Snaefellsnes, Vestmannaeyjar, and the highlands with them. I was able to investigate my ancestors more, specifically abandoned farmsteads and the names at the Vestmannaeyjar emigration monument, where I found the name of my ancestors. Of course, we went to the Blue Lagoon on the day before I departed for Canada, a tradition amongst my family.
Overall, Snorri is a fantastic opportunity to build and sustain our Icelandic bonds. I was able to explore further because of the bonds my sister made through Snorri and the graciousness of Sóley and Einar. It’s funny, but going into Snorri, I expected to focus more on the past history of my ancestors and to learn more about my heritage, but it is way more than the past. The present connections are the most valuable - and I will take that teaching with me for the rest of my life. It is from these present connections that become the foundation to continue passing on the Icelandic heritage to future generations. Once again, TAKK FYRIR to Icelandic Roots for granting me this life-changing opportunity!
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