June 30th, 2014

Somedays are just great. Even in the Faroe Islands. Today was one of those days. It had been raining for the past few days, and still is on some parts of the island, but Mathew and I got stationed in Tournajvik and it's known for having better weather, and today was no different.

We arrived and the beach was filled with people just enjoying the warmth. Little kids and puppies ran in the water. Parents watched nearby from the beach. Teenagers painted the fences. Life was normal and nobody treated us as barbarians invading their territory.

It's crazy how much you can need something and not realize you need it, what we needed was fresh air and a non-stress day. The constant fear of getting attacked is hard to bear, and can really take a toll on you. As the days drag on, the stress grows and so do the dark circles under the eyes from lack of sleep. Although an actual grind hasn't happened up to this point, we had fake grind calls, and constant pods or animal sightings which leads to anti-grind formation from us each time. Night patrols became needed, and attacks on us became more aggressive. The ability to walk around for just a few hours without worrying about our lives, and just enjoying the sun.

Matt and I walked along the beach, even walked in the water a little bit. The Atlantic ocean is freezing, who would've guess. I actually attempted to get into the water, but kept my boots on and I could still feel the temperature of the water through them. We played in the sand, and just enjoyed not being kept in a car. After we played cards and just enjoyed each others company, i'm slowly growing homesick but it's easier to be away on good days like this.

 We explored the nearby cemetery including the graves of 12 vikings! We had been having hauntings at that beach for a few weeks and I had a feeling that there were ancestors unhappy with our presence and chances are I was right.