If you read my last blog I wrote in May I was going to try and travel blog whilst in Europe. That plan failed because I didn’t have the time/computer access. Now that I have sorted through the 4,500 + photos I have taken in Europe I am planning on writing a little bit about each country I visited.
First stop: Iceland.
For most people, Iceland seems like a random country to visit. They think it is really far out of the way and it’s a small island; What’s there for tourists to do? Honestly I started with Iceland because Icelandair offers some of the cheapest flights to Europe. They even allow you to stopover in Iceland for up to a week without paying an extra money. I decided to spend 3 days there because I figured that was a good amount of time to scope out the capital, Reykjavik, and also just see what Iceland had to offer.
Day 125, 366 Creativity Journal
There’s so much I could say about Iceland, but I want to make this post brief.
My first thoughts of Iceland was that I had been beamed to an alien planet. The landscape of this volcanic island is just so different from anything than I have ever seen.
I like how the capital, Reykjavik, has such a small town feel. Walking downtown from my hostel took all of two minutes and it wasn’t much further to walk to The National Museum of Iceland which has a good crash course on the history of Iceland.
Downtown Reykjavik: Day 126/366 Creativity Journal
The buildings in Iceland are also really striking. I love their use of color and that the designs are quite different from that of U.S. buildings.
View from Hallgrímskirkja: Day 127/366 Creativity Journal
I didn’t meet too many locals, but I managed to meet some really cool people in my hostel. On my third day there I decided to rent a car with my new friends Cherina (from Australia) and Krzys (from Poland) and drive around the countryside. Normally it would seem pretty crazy to get in a car with perfect strangers, but in the hostel world making friends is different. Cherina is actually a photographer and a travel writer (You should definitely check out her website!) and I spent the car ride asking her about tips for finding travel writing jobs.
While Reykjavik has a nice vibe, I’m glad I got a chance to see the beautiful scenery of Iceland. My favorite place we stopped at was Gullfoss Waterfall. (Foss is the Icelandic word for Waterfall).
Gullfoss: Day 128/366 Creativity Journal
Gorgeous falls AND a rainbow? I felt like I entered some magical fairytale.
3 days in Iceland was definitely not enough time. I could have easily spent a week driving around the island. I have to say though, it’s really the people who make the place. I am glad I met some people who I could travel around with and share a few laughs. My time in Iceland was made all the more special because of it!
Iceland Air Day 129/366 Creativity Journal
