CHAPTER 23
brEVAN
We spent the day at tóreargleei University, visiting different parts of the campus to experience student life as a group. I was so happy when Kendrick shared my thoughts regarding the constant inclusion of the word ‘change’ and how he wanted to discontinue its use.
Einar shared a big smile with me during this conversation.
Since we planned to stay on campus later today than we have been, we arrived later too. The tóreargleei students wanted us to experience all hours of campus life, including in the evenings and some extracurricular activities, such as their groups and teams.
I think we all appreciated the insight because it proved how similar we already are. They have a very happy atmosphere. But, while most people dress in many layers and we typically see them outside, it’s without the extra layers that we begin seeing personalities.
It’s not so different from Rainbow Dorset, though maybe because there isn’t such a distinct separation between tóreargleei University and the majority of the country, like there is at RDU.
We have such a big concentration of people finally allowed to express themselves, and it comes out in loud colors.
There hasn’t been that kind of repression of identity here, so their colors aren’t quite as loud.
I remind myself of yesterday’s conversation with Einar as we talk, and the other RDU students point out what’s different.
I’m glad when Einar explains the same thing to them that she did to me about the ‘normative’ cultures.
Everyone is considered normal in Iceland.
Their differences don’t make them different. They make them human.
That might be the biggest takeaway I’ll bring home with me. There are places in the world that understand differences make us human, and they’re normal. That’s how everyone should be viewed and treated.
Our group is going for dinner together tonight, so instead of fourteen on the bus, there are twenty-eight. We head south to the town of Vík and the Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach to take in the unique, beautiful scenery.
On our way, one of the tóreargleei students, Alexander, tells us about what we’re going to see here, beginning with the dangers.
“As tempting as it is, remember to stay out of the restricted area. Because of the unique location of Iceland, splitting the Atlantic from the Arctic oceans, there are many, many kilometers for waves to form, and there aren’t always warnings.
These sneaker waves are unpredictable and can come quite suddenly, reaching far up the beach.
They’re one of the most dangerous natural occurrences in Iceland. ”
“Sneaker waves,” Jerome muses. “I’m imagining a wave wearing sneakers.”
Many snort in response.
“Those would be far less dangerous,” Alexander says, smirking.
“The sand at Reynisfjara is black because of its formation from cooled lava that flowed into the ocean during eruptions. The lava fragments were broken down over time by the powerful waves, creating distinctive black sand. One of the coolest features we’re going to see is the towering basalt columns located along the cliffs of Reynisfjall Mountain.
These hexagonal rock formations are formed by cooling lava and create an impressive steppingstone appearance for the beach. ”
“They sound like the Giant’s Causeway in Ireland,” Sarabeth notes.
“Similar, yes,” Alexander says.
He continues to tell us about the beach and what we’re going to see as we get closer.
I’ve not traveled a lot, and while nothing we’re driving by is particularly unfamiliar, there’s a different atmosphere here.
I may be looking at snow-covered fields, of which there are plenty in the US during the winter months, but everything looks magical here.
There’s a kind of serenity that I’ve never felt in my country. There’s still beauty there, definitely, but I don’t think anything homegrown will ever hold the magic of the same kind of scenery in a foreign land. I could stare all day.
The beaches are stunning. I’ve never been to Ireland, so I can’t compare the basalt towers to the Giant’s Causeway, but I can totally see how they appear to be stairs climbing the mountain.
Their unique shape makes them feel surreal, as if they were produced by some supernatural phenomena and not the ocean and volcanoes.
We don’t see one of these sneaker waves, which I’m not upset about, since there were some stupid people beyond the barrier.
Alexander explains that the people who ignore the warnings and move into dangerous areas aren’t just putting their lives at risk, but the lives of those who would try to warn them, and then, furthermore, the lives of rescuers should the stupid people get dragged away by a sneaker wave.
He determines that we’re not going to bother warning them. People need to learn to take accountability for their own actions. There’s no need to put our lives on the line for those who have no value for their own.
One thing I’ll say about the beach, aside from its distinctive beauty, is that the wind is biting. I’m so damn cold by the time we walk back to town for dinner. My teeth are chattering in my head, no matter how hard I try to make them stop.
We pile into a restaurant that has practically let us take over.
I end up at a round table with Dr. Weaver, Sarabeth, Alexander, and an empty chair.
I’m so cold that I can’t convince myself to take my gloves and stuff off for a few minutes.
Thankfully, before we even order, hot beverages are delivered to the table.
“It’s like they know we’re not built for this weather,” Dr. Weaver says as he happily chooses one of the steaming mugs. I choose the one that’s most likely hot chocolate and take a greedy sip. It feels as though the heat from my beverage is trackable as I swallow. I feel it settle in my belly.
Alexander watches us with amusement as he sips on what I think might be tea, as there’s a string hanging out the side of his mug. My thought is confirmed when he sets it down a minute later and pulls the teabag out.
My stomach dances when Kendrick joins us a few minutes later.
“Aren’t you from Wisconsin?” Alexander asks me as he continues to look at us. “I thought that was a cold place.”
“It is. But it’s not an island battered by icy wind, and Iceland is certainly further north on the globe,” I tell him.
“You’re fortunate to be gorgeous in many layers as you are in normal indoor clothes,” he says, continuing to appear amused since I’m still fully bundled.
“Thanks,” I say with a smile. “I guess not everyone can pull off a red nose, huh?”
Sarabeth laughs, shaking her head.
“True enough,” Alexander agrees. “So, did you all like the beach—other than the cold?”
“It was stunning,” Sarabeth says. “You hear about white sand beaches all the time, and people make them sound as if they’re the most stunning things, but the diamond in the rough is a black sand beach. There’s nothing like it. It looks almost dystopian or apocalyptic.”
“The basalt towers add to that impression,” Dr. Weaver says. “There’s something cataclysmic when you look at them. As if something magnificent once stood there, but because of how they’re stacked at different heights, they appear torn down, and that’s all that remains.”
“Exactly,” Sarabeth agrees.
“Doesn’t Hawaii have black sand beaches?” Alexander asks, tilting his head. “They’re a volcanic island chain.”
We look at each other. Dr. Weaver chuckles. “I don’t think any of us have been to Hawaii.”
Alexander appears perplexed. “Why?”
“Believe it or not, for a lot of people, traveling to foreign countries is often cheaper than traveling to Hawaii.”
“Huh,” Alexander says. “You don’t get a lot of snow where you are, then.”
“No. It generally doesn’t get cold enough to snow at RDU,” Sarabeth says.
“I wouldn’t know how to act if I lived in a place without snow,” Alexander says, laughing. “What do you do in the winter?”
“Enjoy the sun!”
I listen to them talk, though my gaze continues to search out Kendrick’s. It feels as if he’s always looking at me. Maybe he’s remembering the same thing I am—last night, our shared orgasms… his dick in my ass.
My cheeks feel like they’re heating up as I remember the second time, when I rode him. It lasted much, much longer for both of us. I think it was necessary to get that first orgasm out of the way to make the second one even better.
To be clear, I don’t mind the quick ones. Sometimes the quick orgasms are the most intense because they’ve been building for so long. When you’re so turned on that the pleasure you share simply can’t be contained.
It was nice. I enjoyed our night together.
We talked about the ambassador program and tóreargleei University between orgasms. Even when we lay together intimately, our conversation stayed on light topics.
His hands still moved over me while we talked.
I kissed down his torso while we talked.
We explored each other in the most sensual ways, all while having a conversation. A productive conversation, even.
I wonder if all older men are as wonderful as Kendrick. He has such a calm, soothing voice. It’s masculine and sexy. The kind of voice that would be perfect for an audiobook. I could listen to him speak all damn day.
He’s attentive, too. I can’t recall a single person in my entire life who has engaged in conversations with me like he does. He’s never distracted and doesn’t appear uninterested. I feel like he genuinely wants to get to know me.
Every little thing about him is fascinating, too.
He’s already lived an entire lifetime longer than I have.
He’s done so much. He has such a long list of admirable accomplishments.
But Kendrick is humble, too. The number of times he’s told me that there are so many things he wants to do for the school is mesmerizing.
Not once has he named something that he wants for himself.
I’ve never heard him speak of a selfish wish.
I’m over here wanting to be a professional football player and then open a library.
Not a library because I want to serve a greater good, but because I desperately want the kind of library I can’t find.
And since I can’t find it, I want to build it.
For me. Yes, I’ll share it with the world, but ultimately, I want to build it for myself.
I’m not sure I’m capable of the kind of selflessness that Kendrick has every day.
Even this trip at its core, beneath the mission to create more queer spaces around the world like RDU, he thought about how to make this happen without financially taxing the student ambassadors he wanted to bring with him.
I think I purchased a few items from the list of things we were told to bring that I didn’t already own.
That’s the only money I’d spent out of pocket.
I’ve spent some on the way and in town now, but I don’t have a lot of money, so I don’t have much to spend.
Cody sent me a few hundred when I told him I was selected for this trip, but he can’t afford a lot either.
Maybe I still don’t entirely believe that I was chosen correctly.
There are probably a hundred better candidates at RDU who would represent the school better.
But this trip is giving me so much already.
Not just the chance to explore a place I might never have visited in my entire life if not for this trip, but also Kendrick.
My eyes train on Kendrick once more, and I can’t stop thinking about how amazing he is. Everything I learn only reinforces that thought. I’m enamored of him. I can’t wait to be in his company again. Just us. The two of us. I don’t care what we do, I just can’t wait to do it.