On Friday 15th February, a group forty girls from Surbiton High School including myself, set out on an exciting trip to Iceland; it was an awesome and unique experience for us all. We visited some amazing places and saw breath-taking scenery that was almost impossible to capture in a picture.

We stayed in both Reykjavik and Selfoss, making sure to wrap up warm as the weather was icy-cold and wet. Yet we delighted in the cosy Wendy houses which we got to share with our friends for some of the nights we were there.  One of the first activities we did was an Icelandic knitting workshop where many of us learnt to knit for the first time and although the sights of Iceland where impressive, none was more gob-smacking than a bus full of fifteen year old girls knitting their Icelandic headbands. We also visited the stunning golden circle waterfall and geysers, which are hot springs that frequently eject large amounts of water vapor into the air due to the high rate of volcanic activity on the island. In addition to this, we went on a glacier hike at Solheimajokull using crampons attached to our shoes and ice axes to keep our balance. This hike was fascinating as we learnt about the history of the glacier and that it is retreating and will eventually no longer be there, we all felt so lucky to have been able to see and experience the glacier first hand. We all thoroughly enjoyed relaxing at the famous Blue Lagoon, a hot sulphur spring and going for a shopping trip in Reykjavik.

I spoke to some other girls who also went on the trip and asked them what their highlights were; Charlotte Blackmore told me, ‘My best bit was getting to walk behind a waterfall’. Claire Parker said, ‘I really liked going to the Blue Lagoon; it was really relaxing and the hot spring was amazing.’ Emma Jones thought that, ‘The windy beach was really good but our tour guide must have thought we were so pathetic screaming when the wind wasn't even that strong!’  Lucy Good said, ‘My favorite part was staying in the Wendy houses with your friends’. I thought this was a fantastic trip, we learnt a huge amount about a place we’d never been to before and had a great time. Surbiton High should defiantly carry on the tradition of the yearly Iceland visit.

By Isabella Parriss