So, as you know we were on the Icelandic national news two nights ago. It was very strange for us because we live a pretty quiet life in Kansas City, and we like it that way. But we also knew that having Pippa's wish come true meant that people would know who we are and that we would be somewhat in the spotlight.
The strange thing that happened is that we had zero press coverage in the United States. It wasn't for lack of trying as my (Megan's) dad tried and Tamara really, REALLY tried. The Icelandic press embraced this story from the start and the Icelandic people did too. That was one of the most touching things for me personally, and for Kevin too. We felt like the country that we already felt drawn to was embracing our girl and cared about her.
While we were out yesterday we were stopped at least eight times by people who saw us on the news. It felt strange, but people were so genuinely happy for us. A little car with a pair of older ladies practically drove up onto the sidewalk, the driver's window came down, and the lady said, "We saw you on TV!" They were adorable. People stopped and just wanted to tell us how happy they were that we were here, that they hoped we were having a good time, and that they loved the story.
The nice, young guy at the desk of our hotel told me last night that the feeling is that people are genuinely happy for us. They are happy for our girl and for us, and he said that it puts a human face on "tourist." But he also said that it's more than that. He said it's nice for them to see someone who is honestly interested in Iceland and loves it here and appreciates the music, culture, etc. Someone else said it's also a nice distraction from their government's antics (which are giving the US's antics a run for their money).
Icelanders love their country and are very proud of it. It's not like the US, though, where being patriotic (sometimes/sometimes often) means putting down other countries. They are just proud and rightly so.
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