Update: Goal #8) Travel to Iceland
November 14, 2009 9 Comments
When most people think of traveling to an exotic location, images of a desert island hidden deep within the South Pacific come to mind. An exotic destination would not be somewhere that the sun never rises during the winter & never sets in the summer. A rugged and unforgivable land created in a place where the earth is literally tearing itself apart, where the winds are constantly howling and 10% of the country is perpetually covered in ice and glaciers. Exotic doesn’t typically include eating traditional foods such as rotten shark fins or boiled sheep head.
For me, nothing seems more enticing than all those things mentioned above, which is why traveling to Iceland has been on my list of destinations for quite some time. It may not be the typical vacation destination but that is exactly the reason I want to travel there. What the island has to offer is a unique opportunity to experience a culture a little different from my own, to witness some of the most spectacular natural views the world has to offer and immerse myself in the natural conflict of what has become known as “The Land of Fire and Ice”.
On November 7th, we set a date for our trip (May 15-May 22, 2010) and purchased our tickets with Icelandair! I am very excited that I will finally be making the trip I have been lusting over for years. A week really isn’t enough time to do much more than scratch the surface of this amazing landscape but I hope to get some dirt under my fingernails in that short bit of time.
I am certain that there will be at least one future trip to Iceland during the winter months to brave the never-ending dark and battle the brutal cold in order to witness the Aurora Borealis. That trip will be quite interesting as well, and I look forward to a perpetual night. I’ve read that the air is so crisp and cold during the winter that you can actually hear the energy of the Northern Lights crackle as they move across the sky. Spectacular!
About Steven
Aurelius Borealis? Do you mean aurora borealis?
Thanks! Yes…yes I do! I don’t know how many times I proofread this and never caught that.
I just found your blog today so this comment on your Iceland post is a bit late. I lived in Iceland for a couple of years back in the early 80s and absolutely loved it! The first thing I noticed when I stepped off the plane was how good it smelled, fresh and invigorating. It’s a fabulous place and the people are wonderful. I had always planned on moving back there permanently, but I had no idea if or when I would be able to find a job. You will definitely love it and you’re right, one week won’t be enough!
Thanks for the comment! I’m really looking forward to visiting Iceland, I’ve wanted to visit for a long time. Any expert suggestions? I’d love to get off the beaten tourist path. Yes, I enjoy all of the neat sites and such that are associated with being a tourist but I have trouble labeling myself as one. I prefer to think of myself as a traveler, its more…respectable. :) I want my travels to have meaning and purpose. I want to experience life like the people who live there experience it. I want to get lost on the back roads, get my hands dirty in the countryside. This is what travel is about for me. Tour buses are okay but they are only okay. I want my experience to be raw.
So, any tips?
I would definitely rent a car and just take off to wherever the roads lead you. That’s what I did when I lived there. And since it’s not a traditional tourist destination, at least it wasn’t back in the 80s, there aren’t the typical tourist “traps” that you would associate with a vacation spot. It could have changed, but like you said in your original post, most people want to go to warm, tropical places. The majority of Icelanders speak English, so communication is not usually a problem.
Thanks for the tips! We are actually considering this, though I wonder how much more of an adventure it might be if we were to forego the whole renting a car thing and hitch hiked instead ;-) Maybe someday! I’m really excited to be there…soon enough!
Pingback: Year in Review & Anticipation of Another « Hundred Goal$
Found my way here from Get Rich Slowly (where you commented). I see that your trip is coming up, and I wanted to say good luck! My fiancee and I spent two weeks last summer driving round the ring road in Iceland. We called it her Engagement Ring Road. We had an amazing time. It’s not that it gets more beautiful but that the country is just continuously, relentlessly beautiful.
Hey William! Yes, the trip is next week and I’m really looking forward to getting there! There is nothing worse than the week prior to leaving because all I want is to just go. The anticipation is excruciating ;-). With the eruption of Eyjafjallajokul, I am not sure the condition of the ring road to the South. I know it was torn out with the flooding but I’m not sure if it has been replaced yet. I really look forward to being there and exploring. I haven’t even made it there yet and I’m already thinking of going back!