In late 2019, my best friend and I planned a trip to Iceland. We were scheduled to head that way around the third week of March 2020.
And, well, we all know what happened then. The week before we were supposed to leave, countries were locking down.
However, not knowing the severity of the pandemic at that time (ignorance was bliss), we were still planning to go.
… At least, until the US and Iceland closed its borders.
We were both so disappointed, and in order to keep our spirits high, we simply delayed all of our reservations to October 2020, thinking SURELY the pandemic would be over by then. Ha!
When October rolled around, our flights were canceled for us, and we pushed the trip back indefinitely.
I don’t think we even thought much about rebooking it in 2021. But, at the start of the new year, we figured we’d wait until nearly last minute to rebook it all — we’d learned our lesson.
So, we rebooked the same trip we planned two years ago.
I’ll be honest, when I looked at the itinerary, I realized this was a trip definitely made for two people pre-pandemic, pre-everything in the world going to shit.
I don’t know about you, but life since then has changed so much for me, and it’s taken its toll. General fatigue has set in, and travel is much more of a hassle, I tire easily, and I wish for the simple comforts of home.
But, Iceland, here we go!
Here’s some of the things we’ve got on our itinerary this week:
Blue Lagoon
One of our first stops is the Blue Lagoon — sort of a spa built around natural hot springs, where you can also refresh your skin with face masks, enjoy drinks, and have a meal. Excited for this stop!
Waterfalls
We rented a car for the duration of our trip so we could see all of the places on our list. Iceland is home to some pretty massive waterfalls, and we’re determined to see some during the week.
Glaciers
They don’t call it Iceland for nothing! We are planning to see some glaciers along the way and visit Diamond Beach — known for the broken chunks of ice that wash up on the shore resembling giant gems.
Glacier Caves
Where there are glaciers, there are also glacier caves, right? We booked a tour of some glacier caves — the pictures looked amazing!
Museums
While museums are not a huge part of our trip, we do want to learn a little about the history of Iceland and its culture.
Bookstores
Iceland is a reading country — they love books! So, there are a few specific bookstores we want to visit, see what they’ve got, and support the local authors.
Food
Iceland has unique food, and although I maintain a plant-based diet in my normal life, I’m ready to taste what the locals eat. Lamb, fresh tomatoes, and all the bread and butter I can eat? Let’s do it!
Northern Lights
It’s impossible for me to predict if we’ll be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights, but it is why we’re braving the cold temperatures this time of year. We booked a Northern lights boat tour in hopes of seeing them light up the night sky.
I’ll be sure to provide a recap when the trip is over. Have you been to Iceland?
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