During the autumn of 2007, I had an opportunity to travel to Iceland with an amazing group of students from the United States for the CELL (Center for Ecological Living and Learning) Program. We lived and learned in Solheimar, a small eco-village in southern Iceland dedicated to community sustainability, artistic creativity, and ecological awareness. As part of this semester abroad, we explored not only the incredible culture of this small community and country, but we were also privileged to get our hands dirty and our hearts filled with inspiration through service-learning projects in Solheimar's forestry, backpacking through the rugged beauty of the Landmannalaugar highlands, and academic study of the fundamentals of global climate change. The incredible support from the Solheimar community and the dedication, care, and focus of our CELL program directors, teachers, and my fellow students is a gift I will not soon forget.

In February of 2009, I returned to Iceland to work as an intern and volunteer at the Sesseljuhus Environmental Center and in the Solheimar art workshops. This was a fabulous opportunity to reconnect with this special community and beautiful country. One of the primary projects I was involved in was helping develop the now-active Sesseljuhus internship program. Through the opportunities CELL offered, I am more fully aware, inspired, and committed to the hope and capacity for community and ecological sustainability. I have carried this inspiration into my present work as a Program Director for the Wyoming Wilderness Association, a nonprofit organization working to protect Wyoming's wild public lands. You can learn more about this organization at www.wildwyo.org.