Text: Ellen Wild
This week something extraordinary is happening on the Norwegian Westcoast: The largest Viking ship in the world, is being set out in the fjord to be rowed through the waves once more; and I’m blessed to be on the team. As we were pushing the ship out on the ramp, there was enough time to reminisce about days long past. It is one thing to image how things were done a thousand years ago, but another to experience it. I couldn't help but feel the whisper of the Western Wind guiding us, a silent companion on the voyage of discovery.
A millennium ago, beneath the endless sky, fearless souls set forth upon the Norwegian waters, guided by the gentle whisper of the wind. Viking longships, sturdy vessels of oak and dreams, carved a path through the seas, weaving tales of bravery and discovery. Upon the rugged shores of Iceland, they found the wild embrace of nature, forging a bond with the land that would echo through the ages.
Today, we still hear that echo. Travellers are called to Iceland, the land of fire and ice, where legends are born from the breath of the wind and the pulse of the earth. And we are on the verge of yet another touristic season. And every year I ask myself. Why? Why do people travel? What is it that drives us? It’s only by putting the ship at sea that you learn to understand.
In the footsteps of the Vikings, who once braved the treacherous seas to explore the black shores of Iceland, we depart on our own journey. Like them, travel is a pilgrimage of the soul, a quest for meaning and connection in a world that often feels confusing. It is a journey of self-discovery, a voyage into the heart of who we are and who we want to be. However, intention never justifies consequence. However personal you identify your intention; consequence ripples out and we bear it together.
Just as the people a thousand years ago, there are many more reasons than only the call of adventure and finding out who we are. Political and societal reasons have always been a pilar in the history of explorers. In the modern age, the allure of travel often lies in the superficial promises of validation. It's a digital pilgrimage, where Instagram likes and status updates become measures of one's worth. Travel offering a fleeting escape from the mundane, a temporary break from the monotony of everyday life.
The call of adventure whispers caution in the wind. The influx of visitors brings burden to Iceland's shores, as the delicate balance between preservation and good business lives at the edge of uncertainty. Iceland’s ecosystems quite literally tremble under the weight of human footsteps. As we are guided by the western wind, let us tread lightly upon the earth, mindful of the fragile web of life that sustains us all. Let us honour this land, preserving its beauty for generations yet to come.
Let us be honest with ourselves and with the world. What is it that we are looking for and is traveling really the solution? Let us sit with that. And let us never forget the spirit of its forefathers, whose courage and resilience continue to inspire us on our own journey through the mists of time.