Week 7: An Icelandic Adventure

Saturday, November 2, Kellie and I boarded the 9:42 am train to Manchester Airport to catch our 2:00 pm flight to Keflavík International Airport. The flight over was supposed to take 3 hours, however, we got in 40 minutes early?! First, we stopped at an ATM to take out "a little" Icelandic Krona (ISK) or so we thought. We clicked on what we thought was 30 USD in ISK and ended up taking out 30,000 ISK!!!!! Now, that may seem like a crazy amount.... and it was but, it equivalated to around $260, which is still an insane amount of money when you thought you were only withdrawing 30 USD. After that mishap, we were still excited to get in so early, however, our free pre-booked shuttle to the hotel wasn't supposed to arrive until 6:20 pm and by the looks of it, it wasn't going to come to any earlier. So, we hailed a taxi and 3,725.7 ISK (30 USD) and 4 miles later, we arrived at our B&B Hotel. After we got settled into the hotel, we walked across the street to dinner at a pizza parlor. Later that night, we went on a Northern Light hunting excursion but had no luck. However, we did see many of Iceland's most notable attractions at night like the bridge between two continents, Reykjanes Lighthouse, and Brimketill. 

On Sunday, November 3, we woke up bright and early and headed back to the airport to pick up our rental car. BEEP BEEP!!!! The car rental agency told us that we "have the smallest car in Iceland" but, it was just the right size for two backpacking gals. We got the car around 8:30 am and to our surprise, it was still dark! Did you know the sun doesn't rise in Iceland until like 9:30 am -10:00 am?!?! Yeah, neither did we. So, we got to see the sunrise driving on the western coastline. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. Kellie and I made our way down the coastline and stopped at numerous places along the way to the Blue Lagoon. We saw Bridge America - Europe (the bridge between two continents) during the day, Gunnuhver Hot Springs, Reykjanes Lighthouse, Valahnukamol (a rock formation is the sea), and more! 

Around noon, we made it to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon was the single best thing that we did in Iceland. A little background for those unfamiliar with the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa located in a lava field near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It was discovered in the early 1980s by local residents and is one of the 25 wonders in the world. The geothermal seawater is naturally heated by the earth, it's around 70% ocean water and 30% fresh water. Its temperature is around 100-degrees fahrenheit. It contains all-natural ingredients like silica, algae, mineral salt and much more. It's supposed to be great for the skin. While at the lagoon, we purchased the basic package which came with an all-day access pass to the lagoon along with a free adult beverage and a mud mask facial while floating in the water. However, they had other packages that included things like an in-water massage, dinner reservations, upgraded mud-masks, more drinks, access to the VIP sections of the lagoon and much more. All-in-all we were happy to do the basic package and we spent around 3 hours there and left feeling revitalized and rested. 

After the lagoon, we checked into our next hotel and settled in. Later that night, we headed to a place called Brimketill (a spot close to the ocean where lava pools reside) and then, we headed to dinner at a local seafood place. Kellie and I both wanted to try something different so we both had the Arctic Char which probably was the best meal I've had in Europe yet. The fish was so tender and cooked to perfection and was paired with the best sides. It was delicious!!! Later that night, we went to a local Icelandic grocery store and bought some beer to drink back at the hotel. My beer said it was "light" but when I poured it, it was darker than Guinness and I was not a fan!! I'm not sure what they consider a light beer over there. 

On Monday, November 4, we started our adventure on the Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is a tourist route in southern Iceland, covering about 300 kilometers looping from Reykjavík into the southern uplands of Iceland and back. The circle can be as short or as long as you want it to be, ours took us from sunrise to sunset to complete. Ours took us longer than normal because: a.) I'm new to driving again b.) The weather is so unpredicatbale. One minute it's sunny and the next minute is spitting sleet and then before you know it, you're driving in 4 inches of snow because they don't plow roads. Anyways, we started off by driving around 2 hours and stopping on and off at pull-offs to make it to our first destination, Kerid Crater. Kerid is a concaved volcano that now has a lake in the middle. However, because of all the snow, we couldn't see the lake. 

Then, we drove another hour to visit The Great Geysir and the surrounding areas. The Great Geysir is now inactive but we saw the Geysir Hot Spring Area with boiling mud pits, exploding geysers and the Strokkur which spouts water 100 feet into the air every few minutes!! This was another major highlight in Iceland for me!!! 

After The Great Geysir, we headed to Gullfoss Falls which is a hidden gem. It reminded me of Niagara Falls but it had double the falls! It was so beautiful but sooooooo cold. After we took in the sight at Gullfoss, we at a late lunch/early dinner at their cafe! 

To end our Golden Circle experience, we drove to Reykjavik which is the capital of Iceland. For being the capital there wasn't that much traffic. We drove all around the city and saw the harbor and much more! To finish the night, we ate dinner at a Street Food Lamb Restaurant. It was sooo good but sooo different. Later that night we headed back to our hotel near the Keflavík International Airport.

Tuesday morning, we woke up bright and early to drop off the rental car and headed to the airport. The airport was severely understaffed and was frustrating at times but it all worked out, we arrived back in Manchester and didn't have a problem with our trains getting back to Derby!

This week was so much fun! I've been wanting to go to Iceland for a while now and I'm so happy with how our Iceland trip turned out!! It's crazy that at 20, I'm crossing things off my bucket list left and right. Next week, we'll be headed to Disneyland in Paris, another place off my bucket list!! It was so important to me to have this experience in college and this trip to Iceland reminded me why I'm over here. I love traveling! It's allowing me to figure out who I am and gives me a worldly understanding that I couldn't have gotten any other way. I'm getting to experience things that people only dream about and I'm so grateful for this experience!!! 

So, if you're wondering why someone would want to study abroad or you're trying to show someone the benefits, take it from me. 

1.) You grow in your faith. God is my #1. He is my savior and my provider. He gives me the strength to do anything. When I struggle, I turn to Him. When I'm stressed, I turn to Him. When I'm lost, I turn to Him. He saves me.

2.) You learn priorities. My family has been important to me but now more than ever, I know that I need them.

3.) You learn how to budget. Every week, I'm looking at my finances to see where I stand to see and to see what I can and can't afford.

4.) You gain independence. Don't get me wrong, I've always been an independent person, however, there something to be said about throwing yourself into a different place with different people and starting over!! 

5.) You get to see the world. Places that I never thought I'd be able to visit, I'm visiting. 

I say this all the time but...

Life is too short, and no one is guaranteed a set time on this earth.

Why wait. You never know when God has made your place in heaven. 

If you have a dream, pursue it. If you have a goal, fight for it.  

I'm loving this experience because when your younger, you have the time and heath to do things, you don't have the money. When your an adult, you have the money and the heath, but you don't have the time. When you're elderly, you have the money and the time, but you don't have the heath. So, if you have all three (money, time, and heath) at any point in your life, regardless of age, what are you waiting for?

I am so thankful that study abroad gave me all three. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world!

Things I've Learned in Iceland this Week:

1.) Iceland has GREAT food, it's expensive but GOOD!! I have no money after Iceland lol (this is only partially a joke)!! 

2.) The weather is ever-changing, one minute it could be sunny and if you drive 10 miles, there could be 4 inches of snow on the ground!

3.) Iceland loves there roundabouts, the only time there were stoplights was in the capital, Reykjavik. 

4.) Everyone speaks English, we didn't come across a single person that didn't speak fluent English. 

5.) Speed bumps are not well marked and we went airborne a few times. Fingers crossed, that there was no damage done to the car!!!

6.) Most of their traffic signs were in English first and then in Icelandic.

7.) Iceland is STINKY because of all of the minerals, most parts reeked of sulfur. 

8.) We only saw maybe 30 houses in Iceland out of the capital which is crazy but it makes sense since Iceland only has around 357,050 people and 1/2 live in Reykjavik!!!! 

9.) If you're ever planning on coming to Iceland, rent an all-terrain off-roading vehicle because there are dirt trails beside the roads that take you off the traditional path in the mountains and down but the coastline and it would've been amazing to see Iceland in its natural state, off the beaten path!! 

10.) Kellie and I found out that "western toilets" aren't that self-explanatory, so they were signs on how to use to the toilet in most bathrooms!! (See picture below)

Blue Lagoon: https://www.bluelagoon.com