A Couples Guide To Iceland
We are in the middle of a pandemic. We can’t even just go to the store without standing in a queuing line, let alone hop on a flight and get out of town. But why wait to dream when you can be doing that right now?
I know I have spent at least the last week dreaming of places I still want to visit and a lot of places I just want to revisit. It’s my little mental escape as I am feeling more and more claustrophobic being stuck at home.*
Because of that, I thought I would share a few of my favorite places I have traveled to recently and maybe spark the travel bug in you. Dreamers, like misery, love company.
Today we are going to start with Iceland.
Right off the bat, one of the things I love most about Iceland is you can very quickly get somewhere and find yourself the only person (people) within eyesight, perhaps save for a few sheep here and there, and while we all probably would love to have a hugfest with all our friends right now, at some point we may just want to be an explorer of our own space again.
Sure, Reykjavík is a cool small city and there are places worth checking out (namely the Lebowski Bar, Hallgrimskirkja (basically Iceland’s version of Notre Dame), be sure to grab a coffee and lunch at Cafe Babalu and finally explore all of the amazing graffiti that is everywhere in the city.
But once you’re done, rent a good 4-wheel drive car and begin heading out.
One of the beautiful things about Iceland is it’s kind of a pick your own adventure place
Sure, you could circle the country via the ring road. Or you could head in on the side roads and find your own adventure. I recommend option two, because there is so much to see in the middle of this amazing country. Things that no one else is sharing, and I hope it stays that way. Secret waterfalls, vast lava rock fields, so many beautiful glacial streams, a flock of sheep here and there and the occasional traveler huts - though wonderfully sparse that even when in a “camp” you still feel more nature than communion with other travelers.
One note, I would make is be sure to not just get a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but an SUV with a good ground clearance as you will very likely need to cross a few streams and a small river or seven.
There is no doubt that this place is magical. If elves and fairies were to rise up out of the ground and start sprinkling pixie dust everywhere you wouldn’t think anything of it. And isn’t that the point of our travels? To feel that there is something magical happening right in front of us and that we get to sneak a peek at it? Travel for me is about reconnecting to a part of me that wants to be on the road 365 days a year. To meet new people and share and hear stories. To grow.
Whether it’s a solo trip, a workshop (which is what brought me here) or an elopement, there are so many reasons to explore Iceland, most of all to feel the connection to a land that feels as though it were ripped from a storybook we were read as kids - the real life Neverland.
*If for whatever reason you are somehow unaware of what I am talking about because years have passed and all is normal with the world again, in the year 2020 we endured a global pandemic call Covid-19 aka the Corona Virus and we were all stuck at home except for Floridians who flocked to the beach in droves - I don’t know the ending yet as we are stuck at home as I write this, so check back later to see what happens.