Hraun by Kelsey Jonsson from Marietta, Georgia

 Hraun didn't get its name from nothing - the farm is surrounded by a large field of lava and moss.  Once you drive beyond the lava, the farm appears as an oasis, filled with yellow flowers and grazing horses, all along the Ölfus river.  It is the first place I've stayed at a farm in this three week work/homestay period.  I've never spent any amount of time on a farm before, so I wasn't entirely sure what to expect.  Honestly, before I got here, I didn't even know what sort of farm it was.  Now, three days in, it seems their work here is a little bit of everything.  Their land extends almost all the way to the sea, and they make use of all of it.  They package and sell dulse seaweed snacks, keep horses, grow turnips, and sell sand, amongst other things.  My activities have largely revolved around the seaweed so far, but each day has brought something new.

 Today, I decided I was going to go out and explore some of the land closer to the road.  Elsewhere, I had been warned to exercise precaution when exploring the lava fields.  The thick moss that grows over the tops of the rocks can sometimes disguise a small hole as solid ground, and it's possible to seriously hurt yourself.  While I took this advice to heart (falling into a moss-covered lava crevice would be just my luck, honestly), I figured that as long as I was extra careful, I shouldn't need to worry.  It was with that in mind that I embarked on my journey.  I had already taken some pictures when I came across what looked to be a small cave.  I grew incredibly curious, and against my better judgement I decided to check it out.  I stepped slowly towards, checking to make sure the ground underneath me wasn't going to give way.  As I came to realize that the ground there was pretty stable, I became more confident, and began walking at a normal pace.  This was, evidently, a bad move, because it was shortly afterwards that I lost balance and slid forward, descending into the cave.  This all sounds very dramatic, but I should probably clarify that the cave was pretty small.  So much so, that I was able to crawl out without any difficulty.  That all being said, I'm pretty sure my life flashed before my eyes as I fell.  It was definitely an experience I won't soon forget.