{"id":2514,"date":"2019-06-13T10:15:06","date_gmt":"2019-06-13T14:15:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/?p=2514"},"modified":"2019-06-13T10:26:31","modified_gmt":"2019-06-13T14:26:31","slug":"five-reasons-icelanders-happy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/five-reasons-icelanders-happy\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Icelanders Are So Happy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lisa Young, Product Manager with Authentic Vacations<\/a><\/p>\n

Lisa Young is a product manager and writer for Authentic Vacations. Travel experiences involving food, wine, art, live music, wellness and engaging with locals make her heart sing.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Remember The Partridge Family<\/i>, an American sitcom from the early 1970s?\u00a0 The show\u2019s theme song was, \u201cCome On, Get Happy!\u201d\u00a0 Perhaps the Partridges were secretly Icelandic.\u00a0 Iceland consistently ranks near the top of the annual \u201cWorld Happiness Report<\/a>\u201d.\u00a0 Let\u2019s explore five potential reasons why:<\/p>\n

1.\u00a0<\/b>Stunning and Stimulating Scenery<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Often referred to as the \u201cLand of Fire and Ice<\/a>\u201d due to its unique dichotomy of active volcanoes and massive glaciers, Iceland\u2019s otherworldly landscape is a mesmerizing fusion of scenic glory.<\/p>\n

Most Icelanders maintain sunny dispositions despite the lack of winter daylight hours.<\/p>\n

Being surrounded by magical skies, spectacular mountains, magnificent waterfalls, peaceful fjords, dramatic geysers, tranquil rivers, calming lakes, black sand beaches, geothermal pools and mossy lava fields \u2013 how could these environs promote anything other than an enduring sense of wonder and happiness?<\/b><\/p>\n

\"1\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo of Seljalandsfoss waterfall courtesy of David-Mark from Pixabay<\/i><\/p>\n

2. Culture of Creativity<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Literature<\/b>.\u00a0 For years, Iceland held the position of publishing most book titles per capita than any other country.\u00a0 Iceland claims that one in ten of its citizens will publish a book during his or her lifetime.\u00a0 Reykjavik (literally \u201csmoky bay\u201d) was the fifth city in the world to receive the UNESCO City of Literature<\/a> title.\u00a0 Storytelling is apparently in the blood, dating back to the Viking sagas.\u00a0 Expand your literary horizons and crack open a contemporary Icelandic novel<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Music<\/b>.\u00a0 For music as otherworldly as the performers\u2019 native land, enjoy the sounds of Bj\u00f6rk<\/a>, whose career has spanned four decades, and the \u201cavant-rock\u201d band Sigur R\u00f3s<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Visual Art<\/b>.\u00a0 Iceland\u2019s notable visual art production does not date back as far as other countries, though some incredible works of art are being produced by the country\u2019s contemporary visual artists<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"2\"<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Photo of Bj\u00f6rk courtesy of Raph_PH-Flickr<\/i><\/p>\n

<\/i>3. You Are What You Eat<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Taking a cue from the famous movie line in When Harry Met Sally<\/i> and adopting an \u201cI\u2019ll have what she\u2019s having\u201d attitude when it comes to the traditional Icelandic diet could be a healthy choice.\u00a0 Big homemade breakfasts, fresh seafood, and quality meat and dairy are the mainstays of a typical diet in Iceland.<\/p>\n

Lysi (aka cod liver oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids) is regularly consumed, even given to children at preschools and daycare.\u00a0 Skyr, a popular dairy product akin to yogurt, is low in fat yet high in protein and calcium.\u00a0 The focus on clean, renewable, and sustainable energy results in healthier, fresher and more delicious food.<\/p>\n

Even the famous Icelandic hot dog<\/a> is, debatably, a healthy option since it is lamb-based, supplying iron and those beneficial omega-3s.<\/p>\n

Restaurants and food shops in Iceland are increasingly catering to vegetarians and vegans, including Gl\u00f3<\/a>, the country\u2019s first raw food restaurant.<\/p>\n

Fun fact:\u00a0 Icelanders have been growing vegetables in greenhouses heated by geothermal energy since 1924!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"3\"<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Photo courtesy of Marco Verch<\/i><\/p>\n

4. The Active Lifestyle.<\/b><\/p>\n

Icelandic people enjoy being active outdoors, exploring the country\u2019s three national parks<\/a>, numerous nature reserves, and hiking trails.\u00a0 They place a high degree of importance on nature, treating the vast and unspoiled landscape with deep reverence and care.\u00a0 Efforts are continuously made to preserve the unique flora and fauna.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Furthermore, they remain active in other ways, often holding more than one job.\u00a0 Rather than earning extra money for survival, this is primarily to keep themselves engaged and purposeful, warding off any threats of depression during the months of limited light.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/b>\"4\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Photo of Blue Lagoon courtesy of Chris Lawton from Unsplash<\/i><\/p>\n

5. SSS.<\/b><\/p>\n

Stable<\/b>.\u00a0 Iceland is an island, but its inhabitants feel anything but isolated.\u00a0 The way Icelanders band together in times of crisis is truly inspirational.\u00a0 Two powerful, overarching characteristics are embedded in Icelanders\u2014optimism and resilience.<\/p>\n

Safe.<\/b>\u00a0 The least populated country in Europe, Iceland claimed just under 340,000 people in 2018.\u00a0 The country maintains an impressively low crime rate with only five prisons in Iceland housing less than 200 prisoners among them!<\/p>\n

Socially Progressive.<\/b>\u00a0 Iceland is consistently ranked number one by the World Economic Forum<\/a> in gender equality.\u00a0 Proof exists in the form of a female Prime Minister and more women currently enrolled in university than men.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s make like the Partridges, book a trip to Iceland, and soak up the happiness!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

For over two decades, Authentic Vacations has been crafting highly personalized, unique, and immersive experiences that connect travelers with locals. \u00a0Destinations include Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales, Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. \u00a0Our passionate Destination Experts are ready to help you plan your next trip \u2013 perhaps to happy Iceland! Visit www.authenticvacations.com<\/a> today.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Lisa Young, Product Manager with Authentic Vacations Lisa Young is a product manager and writer for Authentic Vacations. Travel experiences involving food, wine, art, live music, wellness and engaging with locals make her heart sing.   Remember The Partridge Family, an American sitcom from the early 1970s?\u00a0 The show\u2019s theme song was, \u201cCome On, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2518,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[50],"tags":[70,71,69,68,10],"class_list":["post-2514","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-iceland","tag-authentic-vacations","tag-happy","tag-iceland-2","tag-travel","tag-travel-together-2"],"yoast_head":"\n5 Reasons Icelanders Are So Happy - USTOA Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Five Reasons Icelanders Are So Happy lists why travelers should go to Iceland - scenery, food, active lifestyle, safety, and creativity.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ustoa.com\/blog\/five-reasons-icelanders-happy\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"5 Reasons Icelanders Are So Happy - 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