How did you meet?
Daniel: “It was through a Colombian named Alejandro. He invited me to come along to a birthday party she was throwing, and I found the fact that she was from Iceland very fascinating. I had almost moved to Iceland in 1999 to study geology and found the country somewhat exotic.”
Dögg: “And I found him fascinating because he was from New York … but then I found out he wasn’t from the city but suburban New York State.”
When did you get married?
Daniel: “In 2005. We had only been together for a year and threw a big heathen party in Iceland for family and friends.”
Dögg: “We didn’t want to get married in a church and found a civil wedding a bit boring, so we decided to get married according to the old, heathen, Icelandic tradition; Ásatrú.”
Daniel: “Dögg is from Grundarfjörður, west Iceland, so that’s where we got married. The ceremony was outside, by a waterfall. It was all very mythological; it was cloudy, but the skies parted and a beam of sun fell on the waterfall during the ceremony.”
I also found the chaos in Icelanders quite surprising. It’s very Wild West style compared to Sweden or Denmark, where things seem more organized and by the book.”
Why did you decide to move to Iceland instead of the US?
Daniel: “I wasn’t interested in moving back to the States back then. It just seemed like a good time to move to Iceland; we were getting sick of the rough job market in Spain, and Dögg wanted to be closer to her family.”
Dögg: “A family member of mine was sick, and I felt a need to be closer to home and closer to them. Besides that, the quality of life was better here, the air is fresh and it’s safe.”
Daniel: “I might move to the States now that I have seen more of the limitations connected with Iceland. And I’d like to be closer to my family.”
Daniel, was there anything about Iceland or Icelanders that you found surprising?
“I found it surprising how similar people are to me in personality compared to Spain. And the level of English here is very good. I also found the chaos in Icelanders quite surprising. It’s very Wild West style compared to Sweden or Denmark, where things seem more organized and by the book.”
What’s the best thing about living in Iceland?
Daniel: “The nature! I love chilling out in the country. The small size is both a blessing and a curse; You get to know people better, but it can also drive you mental.”
And the worst?
“Hmmmm … the lack of sun in the winter. But then again, I like the auroras, and you can only see them during winter. I guess the cronyism here is a negative thing. You seem to need to know the right people to get jobs, and at times it looks as though the most qualified person did not get the job because they didn’t know the right people.”
Dögg, do you think there is much cultural difference between Icelanders and Americans?
“Not really. The only time I noticed a difference was when I took my in-laws to the swimming pool, and I realized they weren’t really used to being naked around other people.”
Which language do you speak at home?
Daniel: “Mostly English. I tried to speak Icelandic, but Dögg said I was ruining Ylfa’s pronunciation, and I needed to teach her English. But I really want to learn Icelandic better, especially so that Ylfa won’t be better in Icelandic than I am at the age of three.”
Are there any pros/cons to being in a “multi-national” relationship?
Dögg: “We get to go abroad once a year to meet the family, and our child is bilingual, which is good. But the language barrier can be a problem, and sometimes I get tired having to think and speak in a second language.”
Daniel: “Things do tend to get lost in translation, that’s true. But I find the biggest plus is having a new group of people as my extended family.”
Dögg Mósesdóttir and Daniel Schreiber met through a Colombian named Alejandro when they both lived in Barcelona, Spain. Dögg was studying film, while Daniel worked as an English teacher. Alejandro, who was Daniel’s roommate, was studying with Dögg and invited Daniel to tag along to a party she had organized. And the rest is history.
The couple now lives in the west side of central Reykjavík with their two-year-old daughter, Ylfa, and a grumpy, old cat named Guðjón. Dögg is a freelance filmmaker as well as the chairman of WIFT in Iceland (Women in Film and Television), and Daniel works as a freelance photographer and musician.
How did you meet?
Daniel: “It was through a Colombian named Alejandro. He invited me to come along to a birthday party she was throwing, and I found the fact that she was from Iceland very fascinating. I had almost moved to Iceland in 1999 to study geology and found the country somewhat exotic.”
Dögg: “And I found him fascinating because he was from New York … but then I found out he wasn’t from the city but suburban New York State.”
When did you get married?
Daniel: “In 2005. We had only been together for a year and threw a big heathen party in Iceland for family and friends.”
Dögg: “We didn’t want to get married in a church and found a civil wedding a bit boring, so we decided to get married according to the old, heathen, Icelandic tradition; Ásatrú.”
Daniel: “Dögg is from Grundarfjörður, west Iceland, so that’s where we got married. The ceremony was outside, by a waterfall. It was all very mythological; it was cloudy, but the skies parted and a beam of sun fell on the waterfall during the ceremony.”
I also found the chaos in Icelanders quite surprising. It’s very Wild West style compared to Sweden or Denmark, where things seem more organized and by the book.”
Why did you decide to move to Iceland instead of the US?
Daniel: “I wasn’t interested in moving back to the States back then. It just seemed like a good time to move to Iceland; we were getting sick of the rough job market in Spain, and Dögg wanted to be closer to her family.”
Dögg: “A family member of mine was sick, and I felt a need to be closer to home and closer to them. Besides that, the quality of life was better here, the air is fresh and it’s safe.”
Daniel: “I might move to the States now that I have seen more of the limitations connected with Iceland. And I’d like to be closer to my family.”
Daniel, was there anything about Iceland or Icelanders that you found surprising?
“I found it surprising how similar people are to me in personality compared to Spain. And the level of English here is very good. I also found the chaos in Icelanders quite surprising. It’s very Wild West style compared to Sweden or Denmark, where things seem more organized and by the book.”
What’s the best thing about living in Iceland?
Daniel: “The nature! I love chilling out in the country. The small size is both a blessing and a curse; You get to know people better, but it can also drive you mental.”
And the worst?
“Hmmmm … the lack of sun in the winter. But then again, I like the auroras, and you can only see them during winter. I guess the cronyism here is a negative thing. You seem to need to know the right people to get jobs, and at times it looks as though the most qualified person did not get the job because they didn’t know the right people.”
Dögg, do you think there is much cultural difference between Icelanders and Americans?
“Not really. The only time I noticed a difference was when I took my in-laws to the swimming pool, and I realized they weren’t really used to being naked around other people.”
Which language do you speak at home?
Daniel: “Mostly English. I tried to speak Icelandic, but Dögg said I was ruining Ylfa’s pronunciation, and I needed to teach her English. But I really want to learn Icelandic better, especially so that Ylfa won’t be better in Icelandic than I am at the age of three.”
Are there any pros/cons to being in a “multi-national” relationship?
Dögg: “We get to go abroad once a year to meet the family, and our child is bilingual, which is good. But the language barrier can be a problem, and sometimes I get tired having to think and speak in a second language.”
Daniel: “Things do tend to get lost in translation, that’s true. But I find the biggest plus is having a new group of people as my extended family.”
