Sæþór Randalsson on Politics & Society in Iceland vs the U.S. – Ep. 59

After posting in the Away From Home: Living in Iceland Facebook group that I was looking to speak to expats in Iceland about a variety of topics, I received a decent amount of responses. One of those people included Sæþór Benjamín Randalsson.

Sæþór responded by writing the following comment, “I could talk about moving here as a gay man, or living through the 2008 crash, or the foster system, or the startup culture, or baking, or real estate.” I don’t know about you but all of those topics intrigued me, so I reached out.

Honestly, I didn’t think we would actually talk about all of those things but somehow everything just flowed so nicely that we did manage to talk about all of that and more. It didn’t even feel like I was interviewing him because I was laughing, learning and being entertained by his quick wit, welcoming energy and his passion for helping people. We ended up talking for almost two hours!

The Questions I Asked Sæþór During the Interview

1. Where are you from/grow up and why did you move to Iceland?

2. Was there anything that was strange or shocking to you when you moved here?

3. What has it been like living here as a gay man? Has it changed a lot since you moved?

4. You lived through the 2008 economic crash in Iceland, which was a really intense time. Can you talk a bit about what it was like before the crash in Iceland? How were you feeling when it finally settled in that the economy had crashed and that the current government was not able to handle the situation?

5. What was it like learning Icelandic?

6. You have a child through the foster care system here in Iceland. What is that process like?

7. What advice do you have for people that want to move to Iceland?

8. Do you feel Icelandic? Meaning, do you identify as being an Icelander even though you grew up somewhere else?

9. How do you feel about what is currently going on in the United States in regards to politics?

10. What is your favorite Icelandic word or phrase?

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