Urnush, 19

Are you from Reykjavik?
Yes, but I grew up in Norway. I lived there from ages five to fifteen, and have lived here for four years.

So, are you in a relationship?
Yes, we met through a group of friends. And then it continued on to Facebook — it's very much based there now, I think — where we started chatting and then he became my boyfriend. But in Norway, people get married very late. And here, it's very common for people to meet and have kids and marry very young. I think people start earlier in Iceland and I'm not sure why. It's unusual if people have been together many years and are not married. The main difference, though, is that here people live much longer with their parents — because it's so small and you usually go to school where you're from and it's very expensive to live on your own — but people in Norway move in with their boyfriend or girlfriend much younger.

Have you had any crazy dating experiences?
Not personally, but I know someone who lived in the U.S. for many years who moved back here, and he just asked my friend out on a date. He asked her to go on a date with him, and that was very unusual! It was really weird. She went and liked it very much, but here it's much more casual, and this was a serious date.

Hah, I love that the "strange experience" you're recounting is just that someone went on a date. That's adorable.
Well, if you don't know the person and they just come up and ask you on a date — I think very few girls would say yes to that here. But guys don't even do that, unless they're weird. It shouldn't be like that, but there has to be something already going on between the two people before they go on a date.

So, you hook up and then decide if you're in a relationship. Do you find that people start sleeping together younger?
Yes, younger than in Norway at least. It depends on the girl, but many people in high school will go downtown and meet someone and go home with them. There was a big fuss about it a year ago, because foreigners were coming to Iceland because they were hearing Icelandic girls were so easy to get with. Here you know most people somewhat, or you know someone who knows them, so there's a lot more one-night stands that turn out to be something afterwards.

Please clear up this rumor: since it's so small and there's many interrelated people, do people find that this causes problems in their romantic lives?
Well, I do know one boy and girl who have been together for a year and just found out that they had the same great-grandmother, but... they're still together. That's pretty closely related. So, it happens. But I know that in most places that would never even cross your mind!

NEXT: "I'm not afraid if I meet a guy that he's going to be my cousin."