Gerog Leite is Afro-Brazilian and came to Iceland way back when he was 16 years old. I witnessed first-hand his gregarious nature during my first visit to Kaldi Bar, a place he owns and manages, many years ago. It’s funny how I wondered about his story as I watched him from afar chatting with people at the bar. Little did I know that one day I would have the pleasure of interviewing him for the All Things Iceland podcast.

During the conversation, Georg describes what led him to choose Iceland as a teenager and what it was like for him to adjust to a place that is pretty much the exact opposite of where he grew up in Brazil. Along with adjusting to life here, we discuss how his family back in Brazil reacted to him choosing to live in the land of fire and ice.

One of my absolute favorite parts of this interview is hearing about his journey learning Icelandic. It always delights me when people just allow themselves to jump headfirst into challenging situations. Iceland was a very different place when he moved back in 2002, but the fact remains the same – Icelandic can be hard to learn but it is doable. This is something I often remind myself of because somedays it feels rough.

On top of owning Kaldi Bar, my favorite bar in downtown Reykjavík, Georg is a talented photographer that published the gorgeous book called “New Faces of Iceland”, which features portraits of Icelanders with mixed heritage. It shows the amazing and diverse cultures that have merged into Icelandic society. He is also an actor, and model. Seriously, he is majorly talented and treats everyone like a close friend.

If you enjoyed this interview with Georg, I encourage you to follow him on Instagram and share this interview with someone you think would enjoy it.

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