After getting the news on the evening of March 19th that an eruption had started in the Reykjanes Peninsula – the first in 781 years – I rushed out with my family to see if we could see a red glow in the sky over the bay that separates Reykjavík from Reykjanes. We couldn't that night, but what followed was some of the most exciting months of my life as I took part in the sampling and analysis of the new lavas—an impressive group effort with the aim of quickly learning more about our new acquaintance, the Fagradalsfjall eruption.