: I come from Greater Poland, from a small town near Poznań. While studying at the Faculty of Political Science and Journalism of Adam Mickiewicz University, I decided to take part in a student exchange under the Erasmus program. I chose Akureyri, a town called the “pearl of the north”. It is a small city, but by Icelandic standards it meets most of the needs of its inhabitants. It was in 2014. There I met my current husband, an Icelander. However, I had to return to Poland to complete my master’s degree in international relations and my bachelor’s degree in Romance philology.
I moved to Iceland two years later, a dozen or so days after passing my exams. My husband was finishing his studies at the time, so I took the initiative to move to the island. I already had a job at a local cafe, I found it online. Thanks to the fact that I worked only with Icelanders, I learned the language very quickly. This allowed me to assimilate quickly and work in other positions in the future.
The heart decided! When my husband graduated, we were open to everything, but now we both work stable jobs and it is difficult for us to decide on big changes, especially since our son was recently born. However, we see that we lack the proverbial “village” that is needed to raise a child.
When I came to Iceland for the first time, in winter, in January, I was surprised primarily by the fresh air and darkness until 11.30. I slept well even until 10 am! I was also surprised by the Icelandic sun, which is stronger than anywhere else. At 15 degrees and no wind, the temperature feels much higher.
There is something else that I will never fully understand, but for which I am grateful. It’s about a break during a movie screening. Its main purpose is to increase popcorn sales, but then I use the toilet. I also remember that the directness made a huge impression on me. We addressed academic teachers by their first names, just as I now address, for example, my boss. I also saw the former president of Iceland twice in very everyday situations. Once after a running competition, and the second time at the swimming pool with the children. Without any protection. I also like the fact that many official matters can be handled online.
It depends on one’s lifestyle, but everyday life in the north is often filled with activities. It may be going to the gym at 6 a.m. to get to work, and then taking the children to extracurricular activities, usually sports, picking them up, having a late dinner, and suddenly it turns out that there is very little time left for yourself throughout the day.
I think the main difference is that a Polish family sits down for dinner together after school and work, and an Icelandic family sits down for dinner, no earlier than 6 p.m., and sometimes even 8 p.m. Weekends usually revolve around sports tournaments for the youngest. You should also pay attention to the fact that life in Iceland is controlled by the weather. You can plan a lot of things, but if a snowstorm is forecast and the road connecting the north to Reykjavik is closed, all your plans can fall apart.
If, on the other hand, we get a beautiful, sunny day, we put everything aside and spend time outdoors to catch some sun. It even happened that during exceptionally warm days, I mean 20 degrees and a cloudless sky, some offices and shops were closed earlier so that employees could enjoy it. I also miss trains in Iceland, which due to climatic conditions have no right to exist there.
I love internet stories about sky-high earnings in three months on the farm and savings that allow you to survive the rest of the year somewhere else in the world. Yes, such cases do happen, but they have little to do with normal, longer life on the island.
The average family has trouble saving anything for a rainy day, and living on credit thanks to a credit card is no surprise to anyone there. People’s seasonal work without obligations, with accommodation and meals, and normal life in the capital with renting an apartment, kindergarten, extracurricular activities and car maintenance are two completely different worlds.
In my opinion, it is no longer profitable to come to Iceland solely to earn money if someone is planning to move with their family. There must also be other reasons driving such decisions. Iceland is considered a rich country. Yes, wages are high, but the cost of living is even higher. Health care institutions are in a deplorable condition, there is a shortage of specialist doctors, and private care is practically non-existent. When I visit Poland, I go for check-ups, because in Iceland I can’t even get blood tests done privately.
To see an ophthalmologist, I have to go to Reykjavik, which is almost 400 kilometers away. Renting an apartment can consume almost your entire salary. The real estate market is very specific, and loan interest rates can be downright usurious. Tourism and short-term rentals also contributed to the difficult situation.
When I come to Poland, I see how much it is developing. Roads and cultural centers are being built, and many initiatives for residents are being launched. In Iceland, the solution to many problems is often simply a new tax. The last example is mileage, i.e. a fee for each kilometer traveled by car. For northerners who regularly have to travel to the capital, this is another financial burden.
Iceland is beautiful, but life on the island is not as much a bed of roses as Instagram shows.
Poles are the largest national minority on the island. As of January 1, 2025, there are approximately 23,000 of us, which is over 30%. all immigrants and 4 percent all inhabitants of Iceland. We are highly appreciated for our diligence and reliability. In many institutions you can find information in Polish, which makes it easier to function on the island. My Icelandic friends sometimes envy me for speaking Polish, because the language is also useful there professionally. However, I have the impression that Icelanders used to be more curious about other nationalities. Currently, there are so many foreigners there that it no longer impresses anyone, and migration policy is becoming more and more restrictive.
Personally, I have not experienced any unpleasant situation. I think that knowing the language helps here because it makes assimilation quicker. However, I realized that during the recruitment process, a foreign-sounding name did not put me in the best position, but several people gave me a chance. Today I work in the Icelandic administration and I am very proud of it. What helped me in this was not only determination, but also working on myself and believing that I was able to do such work and serve my second country.
Although the question is asked in the past tense, I have the impression that my stage of emigration is still ongoing and may never end. At the beginning, the biggest challenges were the weather and the language. Later, when I got used to these two things, there was a stage of excitement, but today I am more and more lonely, especially since I am on maternity leave. That’s why we spend the spring months in Poland, with my relatives.
It takes a “village” to raise a child, and this is difficult to create in Iceland. Just knowing that other places are just a few hours away by plane can be overwhelming. It is also not easy to build real friendships, although Icelanders are usually very friendly. I also miss Polish food, especially fresh vegetables, fruit and white cheese. For me, products imported to the island are practically devoid of taste and texture.
I much more often let go of things I can’t control, especially when it comes to the weather. The way of working in Iceland is much slower. I have the impression that many people spend long hours at work, but efficiency is not always the highest. Morning coffee, lunch, another coffee and suddenly it turns out that the working day is practically over.
Complaining about the lack of choice in consumer goods also has its good side, because I noticed how little I need to be happy. Life in Iceland requires a lot of organization and determination. The weather can affect your running training, travel or even getting to the airport.
Running is a huge part of my life. The time of injury is a very difficult time for me, as is returning to running after pregnancy, because I not only see but also feel the changes in my body. I was active during my pregnancy and I believe it helped me during labor. Unfortunately, half a year later, the return turned out to be more difficult and slower than I thought. I have to be patient, and this is one of the most important qualities not only in running, but now also in motherhood.
Thanks to running, I got to know a part of Europe and I successfully combine trips to competitions with tourism. Even though I’m an amateur and my times are average, I really like seeing the results of my work. Running events are a fantastic experience. It is a great festival of people positively crazy about this sport. I hope that I will be able to continue this passion with our son. Running makes me stronger and more patient, because each training session is another building block on the way to a better result.
The idea for the book came from the publishing house’s initiative, which we eagerly agreed to. We wanted to show people that happiness consists of small things that are most often almost free, such as nature or socializing over good food.
Iceland, as an island full of space and relative peace, can attract visitors with its wild appearance. In the long run, however, this wilderness can be overwhelming, just like the polar nights, which cause seasonal depression for many residents. And it’s best to do all preventive tests before moving.
