Iceland 2016

Before I begin this post, I would first like to express my deepest and sincerest gratitude for the overwhelming response I received from my last post. When I wrote it, I truly had NO IDEA it would bring that much positivity and beautiful support. Truthfully, I was hesitant to post it. But I can say, I am SO happy I did. I received countless comments, emails and private messages from people from all over the place. I didn’t even think that many people would read it. I was shocked to see that thousands viewed it in less than 24 hours of it being posted. I cannot thank each of you enough for taking the time to reach out to me and share the most wonderful and kind encouragement. I was in tears after reading each and every one of your messages. It touched my heart more than you will ever know. And I am forever grateful that I have so much support from you all. Your beautiful words inspired me deeply. And it also made me realize that I need to be opening myself up to you more. So I promise to work on that and try to share more with you. I have a huge desire to make an impact and if opening my heart and soul to the world can somehow do that, I’m ready. Thank you a million times over. From the bottom of my heart. Your words will stay with me forever.

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Oh Iceland, I have fallen in love with you forever. You have captured my soul and I will never be the same. Thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me life and inspiring me in more ways than one. I will be grateful for all eternity.

I truly could never express in words, photos or video how incredible and awe-inspiring this island is. It is the place to find healing. Not a single photo ever does this place justice. If unicorns did indeed exist, they would exist in Iceland.

I took this trip by myself. I did all of my own research and drove around the entire outer edge of the island over a two week span. I saw so much, did so much, experienced so much. I enjoyed every single moment and loved every place that I stayed and the people I met.

I have so many favorite things about Iceland. There is truly SO MUCH to see. Every inch of that country is beautiful, and unique. No part of it is like the other. I love that once you get out of the airport area, it’s like you’re in the most beautiful wilderness, with hardly any other people to be found anywhere. Even the “popular” landmarks had hardly any people at them. I felt as though I belonged to Iceland and Iceland belonged to me. I love that in the winter the sun only rises a little bit off of the horizon… so you’re basically in a sunrise/sunset ALL DAY. It creates the most perfect lighting. The days are super short though. In November the sun would rise around 930-10 and set around 345-430. (The days get even shorter in Dec and Jan.) So I definitely had to be strategic in all my planning as to make sure I accomplished everything I wanted in a day. And even though I did plan, many of my plans were delayed or altered because of the weather. You definitely have to be flexible when coming to Iceland. Iceland’s weather is extremely moody. It can be sunny one moment, and raining or a snow storm the next. And then sunny again. I loved it though because it was constantly creating different perspectives of this amazing land.

It is in one word, MAGICAL. But as magical as it is, it is equally dangerous. And when I say dangerous I don’t mean because of other people. I mean because of the landscapes and weather. It would be so easy to fall off of a cliff, drive off a mountainside, be washed away by the intense waves, drive into sheep (they cross the road often and without any warning), get stuck in the terrain, be blown away by the crazy wind, get stuck in a snow storm, and the list goes on. I found knots in my stomach a couple of times due to this. But in part that is also what made it so exciting and adventurous. : )

One of the most anticipated things to me was getting to see the elusive Aurora Borealis. My two week trip was almost over and I still had not seen her. I was so so sad about it. But like a miracle in the sky, she came out and danced for me on my very last night in Iceland. Seeing this took my breath away. Pure MAGIC. And as quickly as she came out, she vanished into the night sky. Just giving me a little tease. It was the most perfect way to end my trip. I will never forget it.

This surreal place stole my heart and changed my life forever. I will be back again and again.

Thank you God for creating this incredible place.

Side note: While I was there, I realized that I have a gift for planning adventures and I really want to share that with you. Exploring the world can be scary and confusing, and I genuinely would like to make it easier for people to live an exciting adventure. I will be inviting you to join me to come to Iceland next year. You won’t have to plan anything, just show up! I look forward to sharing the details soon.

A little milky way and aurora mix. 

Short video featuring the “Roads of Iceland” shot while I was driving. Music by Lawrence Burges. Drone footage coming soon.