We visited the geyser and waterfall the other day. It was truly a remarkable experience. The closest thing I’ve ever seen to something like that is the Grand Canyon and the other Arizona canyons when I was only eleven or twelve. At the growing and maturing age of twenty-one I am able to appreciate the beauty of such earthly wonders so much more. The sheer size of the rip in the earth was unbelievable and easily made me weak in the knees (something to be expected considering I have a tremendous fear of heights). The way the rocks mercilessly poured over the landscape down into the split created by the tension beneath the crust was also another step of facing a different fear – water.
I have had a horrible hatred and fear of deep or unclear water since I experienced the traumatizing event of trying to save me and my little brother from a rip current while swimming in the ocean. While we both survived it left its ‘scars’ upon us. So I naturally recoiled when I saw the waterfall and the depth and height it reached. But I pushed myself. I forced myself to walk down the long path that was sometimes dangerous and increased my unease because of the steepness of it. Once down on the rocks that were near the top of the waterfall I felt another uncomfortable emotion; the fear of that raging water. While at first I kept away from the side and simply took pictures, I eventually managed to build up the courage to go towards the edge and put my hand in the cool water. I even cupped my hand in it and took a sip. It tasted rather good.
While my fears never left me and while they have not been concurred completely I did not allow them to hold me back from having a good time, experiencing something new, and seeing the fun that those I am with had. That’s what this trip is about for me, to face fears. My goal isn’t to completely overcome them – I know that will never be achieved for me – but I want to face them and learn to control myself and to think more rationally when in those situations that makes one normally act irrational. I want to grow and mature even more and that is why I have journeyed so far from home. I can’t find any other way to grow then to leave my comfort zone behind. This country, Iceland, is a very good start.
Videos and pictures coming later. . .
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