When My Boots Melted in Iceland

Kathy Sullivan Explores

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only poor equipment.”

You have, no doubt, heard this adage. I have lived the truth of it many, many times in my life as an explorer. One of the strangest of such experiences happened in 1974. It all started with me visiting Iceland to attend a conference in Reykjavík and ended with me hunting for a pair of sturdy hiking boots I couldn’t really afford on my shoestring budget as a starving Ph.D. student.

In this episode, I discuss how I learned a lesson about good equipment while on a trip in Heimaey, Iceland. I describe how I became a participant in an invitation-only conference in Reykjavík. I also outline the Heimaey eruption of 1973, how the entire population of the island was evacuated, and how the lava flow was prevented from destroying Heimaey’s harbor.

“The in-depth stories [about the Heimaey eruption] from National Geographic were candy for this budding geologist. Now that I was off to Iceland, I was excited to climb on the planet’s newest volcano.” - Kathy Sullivan

This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:

• The Heimaey eruption of January 1973 and subsequent evacuation efforts
• A day trekking the Heimaey island and a word of warning from our guides
• My very first pair of field boots
• Learning about the importance of good equipment

Our Favorite Quotes:

• “I lived on very meager rations and the friendliness of locals—but I did survive and learned a serious lesson about good equipment.” - Kathy Sullivan
• “The lava flowed north and east, destroying some 400 homes on the eastern side of town and threatening to seal off the harbor entrance to the north. This would be a disaster for a fishing-centered economy.” - Kathy Sullivan

Spaceship Not Required

I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.

I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.

In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are--spaceship not required.

Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.

Visit my website at kathysullivanexplores.com to sign up for seven astronaut tips to improving your life on earth and be the first to discover future episodes and learn about more exciting adventures ahead!

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