As a United States citizen even reading the title of this article strikes me as anti-patriotic; however, I ask that you hear my reasoning. After my 37 years in this country I have made a decision to move to Iceland. I am not an impulsive person so I need to be clear that I am doing this with research and education behind me. There are hundreds of books and articles that will explain the stunning scenery and visuals. It is completely different to look at Iceland as a resident and not a tourist. When I announced my plans the very first reaction and response is always why? Well here are the top reasons.

Kindness, the kindness of the Icelandic people is one that is deep in tradition and a way of life. As I walk through almost any town in the US I am bombarded with glares, judgment, and a closed doors that you have to push your way through in order to just survive. In a recent article Eric Plow a recent visitor to Iceland says it wasn’t the beauty of Iceland that stuck with him rather “… It was the kindness and hospitality of the Icelandic people”. They do not have this permanent chip on their shoulder which seems to be second nature in the US. Also the self-centered nature the “all about me” attitude does not exist.

Healthcare for all, Every citizen in Icealnd gets healthcare, not only healthcare but good quality healthcare. I don’t like using the word FREE because nothing is free. 80% is paid by the taxes of the people, because of this there is little private healthcare and overpiced medical care is all but eliminated. Sounds to me like they have their priorites exactly where they should be. Why we in the US cannot seem to figure out what Iceland and many other countries have is beyond me.

Politicial Indifference, They are not on the radar for a terrorist attack, they are not at war or constanlty battling over oil prices. Despite what your opinions on the war or the US Government, I think it would be safe to say that almost everyone would prefer a peaceful environment.

Clean Living, Iceland is at the forefront for being a healty country. They pride themselves on being active and with little to no pollution, thanks to all natural geo-thermal energy and vehicles that run on hydrogen, the air is clean and the people are healthy. This has given them the rank of #1 life longenvity for men in the world and 3rd for women.

The food, with an ocean at your back door you have some of the freshest seafood you could imagine. The also pride themselves on their delicious decadent pastries. Yum! I will acknowledge that there is some down right fantastic food in the US but most the time it is the exception rather than the rule. There is not a Taco Bell, or KFC to be found.

It is Small and Big, That’s right the capital city of Reykjavik may top out at around a little over 350k people this doesn’t stop Iceland from being the forefront for some of the highest technology in the world. You can have a small city but still have all the comforts you have come to know and love in the modern world.

Crime and guns, Although not all may agree that no guns is a “good” thing. It seems we are a pretty gun obsessed society, especially where I live in North Idaho, but violent crimes and shootings are at a minimum in Iceland. This means I would sleep better at night with my family safe. Much of this has to do with there calm nature and clean living.

They are smart, with a literacy rate of 99% it is clear that they use more than Google for their education. Technology has been linked to the dumbing down of Americans. While it is important to have watching our schools deteriorate is a sad thing.

While there are certainly more reasons. I would wager side by side we are not as great as we think we are and perhaps it would be wise to take a cue from the small country of Iceland and make some changes that truly matter.

Author Bio: Iceland Quest is a website by Kevin Daniel and chronicles his journey as he plans to move to Reyjavik Iceland. Not always pretty, but honest.

Category: Travel
Keywords: iceland, travel, moving, lifestyle, US