skjól

"Skjól" is a word I've been struggling to translate into English. I feel like it is the most common word used during a typical Icelandic summer, but now that I think about it, we use it all year around. Everyone is always seeking "skjól" and having it is a luxury we know how to appreciate.

It means something similar to shelter, or refuge, but we mainly use it for weather. Finding shelter from the different moods of the weather here is an ongoing mission. Wind is something that we have a lot of. On a sunny day, you look out of the window and decide that you don't need a jacket, a decision you will deeply regret as soon as you go out, as the look of the weather is deceptive and unreliable source of its actual feeling. The rest of the day you will spend seeking "skjól", a space where the wind can't find you no matter from what side it blows. It is the ultimate sweet spot, a perfect balance where you can enjoy being outside in the sun, while also being warm! Finding it happens on a rare occasion and feels similar to winning the lottery. As you struggle to come to terms with your own luck, you feel bound to enjoy your privilege, express often how much you are enjoying it, and to stay put in your "skjól" until the sun decides its time to leave.

It is more a blessing than a burden though, and there are few things that compare to the feeling of finding such a place. Physically there is a release of all tension, muscles start to relax, you let out a nice sigh and with it your mental distress fades into the distance, you regret having cursed the weather before, you didn't really mean it, it wasn't so bad. You drop into the present moment.