seen from United Kingdom
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Germany
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Russia
seen from United States
seen from Ukraine
seen from United States
seen from Bolivia
seen from Chile
seen from Brazil
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Brazil
seen from Singapore
seen from Hungary
seen from Peru
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
*Sound On* We are the greatest geological force on the planet today, yet due to scalar confusion, the majority of people are still applauding the markers of civilization’s imminent decline. #whittier #alaska #glaciertour https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ybhCeH3k9/?igshid=pfoox7rfgwdj
Take Time to Travel: To Iceland!
"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us". We begin to fall into the daily routines of life because every day we wake up in the same town, same place, same bed. We forget that there is an entire world that surrounds us with new scenery, people, food, and anything else you could imagine. The opportunity to travel allows us to look at different parts of life and know that there is always something new and exciting that's waiting for us to see.
As a 21 year old college student, I can say that the opportunities I've had to travel have changed my perspective and mindset for many things. This past Winter, in January, I traveled to Iceland with my sister. This was the first trip we had taken on our own and it was the most surreal and amazing experience I have ever had. It amazes me that you can get on a plane, fall asleep, and wake up in an entirely new place. Iceland, being an island on its own, was like being in a new world. I had never seen so much life and color in a single place before, I felt like I had stepped into a screensaver. From icy glaciers and mountains formed by black volcanic ash, to the vast green, open land with wild horses running around, Iceland was filled with so much natural beauty. I had only seen scenery like this in movies, but to actually experience it and see it for yourself is an indescribable feeling. We had the pleasure of taking a glacier hike to the top of an active volcano, exploring ice caves, and relaxing in the famous Blue Lagoon, all while taking in our surroundings with every drive we took.
The different excursions we went on were incredible. My favorite was hiking the glacier because once we got to the top, we turned around and saw the sun beaming over the top of an ice layered mountain, and it was then that I fell in love with Iceland. Overlooking mountains and black sand crevasses, then turning around and knowing an active volcano was just meters away from us was a heart pumping experience. Coming from a town where almost everything in it is man-made, I had no idea what I was missing out on. Our tour guide, named Zeki, told us the history of the glacier and how much it has melted in just a few short years. He also went on to say that the volcano we were standing near was projected to erupt in the next two or three years. Not just an eruption though, the biggest Iceland has ever seen. Zeki explained that the volcano would cover almost the entire country and destroy many homes. This made me sit and take in the scenery for a while because he said we were going to be some of the last people to see any of the area we were standing on. It's amazing to think I was able to see the land before it was completely destroyed and I am grateful that I took the jump and traveled to this place that not everyone will get to see now. The same goes for the ice caves that I had got to see as well. These caves were melting at an extremely fast rate and would be gone in a few years. The crystal blue caves looked like art, and to think they would be gone was sad. Thinking of something so beautiful and naturally made just disappearing is sad. But that is why taking advantage of traveling is so important while you are young and able to adventure anywhere.
I have to say, for anyone who is nervous about traveling, I was too before this trip. Being on our own in a place we hardly knew anything about was intimidating, but the trip had actually gone even better than expected. I think the reason for this was because we continued to stay open-minded, calm, and positive through the entire trip. We would stop on the side of the road just to go explore something we saw out our car window (many times), the majority of our trip was exploring and finding new things. Everywhere we looked was something we had never seen before and the journey was always the best part. We had fun with everything we did no matter what it was. Even on rainy days we would still go out and explore because we knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Of course we would be able to travel more, but probably never to Iceland again because there are so many other places to go and see. To think we found so much adventure in one place and know there are so many more like it to go see is an exciting feeling.
Looking back to before we had left for the trip, we looked at the weather and saw it was supposed to rain nearly every day. For any vacationer, you know that has to be one of the worst things to see in the forecast during the one time you'll be there. However, some of my favorite days there were the days it rained. It never poured, just a light sprinkle, but nothing that could stop us from being outside to see what the country had to offer. My favorite day was when my sister and I walked across the Black Sand Beach; it was just us two, no one else was in sight, and we just kept going. Keeping each other talking, laughing, and running around to explore, made us barely notice the crisp, cold air around us. That is when you know you have found a great travel partner. I am so thankful for her and having the opportunity to take that trip. My biggest suggestion is find someone who has just as much heart for travel as you do. That is so important, and if they don't, show them what they are missing out on and they will fall in love with it just as much.
Although this blog post is a little vague on what to really look for in Iceland, I put together a list of advice I find most helpful for someone looking to travel to Iceland!
1) Fly there on WOW Airlines!!
a) WOW Airlines is an extremely cheap way to fly. A round trip there cost us the same as a round trip flight to Florida! This is going to be very important because of number two which is...
2) Everything in Iceland is expensive so eat light and pack protein bars!
a) Because Iceland is an Island, they have to import everything which causes HIGH prices. We went out to eat one night and shared a personal pizza, shared a side salad, and each got a glass of wine and it was $75! No joke. So we packed a lot of protein bars and ate ramen for dinner and tried to skip out on the other meals if we could.
3) They don't accept tips there
a) Another reason why our meal was so expensive was because it also included part of the server's tip. Tipping is not a thing in Iceland which is actually refreshing. Our server was very sweet to us even though she wasn't working for a tip which is not something you find commonly because most places in America welcome tips very much.
4) Renting a car is the way to go!
a) We planned our trip so that we would start on the east side of the island, drive along the entire bottom to get to the very tip of the west part of the island, and come back. We would not have seen and done so many things if we did not have a car and had to take a bus. When you are driving, you rarely see any other cars on the road. It actually feels like you are the only people in the world. We would see a waterfall, horses, or caves during our drive and just stop in the middle of the road and go adventure. You never ran into people unless you went to a "touristy" area where the buses would take you. We were able to see so much more and do things on our own time with a car, which also helped us get to our hotels and excursions on time.
5) If you go in the winter, there is mainly one road open throughout the entire island
a) One highway is open to get you from point A to point B in Iceland during its winter season. Because it snows and rains at some point almost every day there, they don't bother to salt the roads every day. It is expensive and inefficient so they leave one main road open. It gets so icy you can't even see where the other roads are, they are completely covered so it is very important you don't venture off to far on the side of the roads.
6) Pack layers
a) With the rain and cold in January, it gets very chilly in Iceland. Pack very warm layers that will also keep you dry! Many people have said "I thought Iceland was green and warm though." This is true in the summer, but the island is very similar to Wisconsin. It does get green and warm, but we all know how winters in Wisconsin can be, so make sure to be prepared for anything!
7) Invest in hiking boots
a) Amazing how much a pair of shoes can change your entire experience with something. If you travel to Iceland in the winter, your feet will not stay dry so tennis shoes are already out of the picture. Regular winter boots though, typically do not have any kind of grip on the bottom of them. With all of the ice and amount of walking you would do, you will definitely need a good pair of waterproof hiking boots! I had never been so thankful for having a pair!
There are so many more things I wish I could share about this amazing country. What I most want people to see is that taking a step outside their comfort zone to go see a new place is more than worth it. If you want to ask me any questions or tell me about your experience traveling somewhere I would love to hear it!
Thanks for reading!
#glaciertour #summerfun #helialaska (at Alaska State Fair Grounds)
#glaciertour #summerfun #helialaska (at Alaska State Fair Grounds)
It's sad to know that the Earth's ice glaciers are melting at a very fast pace. Our guide told us that the glaciers receded from where the lagoon is now (2nd pic) to where we first started our glacier hike, just within the last 17 years. Everyone, please do our parts to save the Earth, or we'll all perish with it. #pehleetravel #iceland #nofilter #canong7x #glaciertour #skaftafellnationalpark #savetheearth (at Skaftafell National Park, Iceland)
今天參加冰河健行💪，據說是歐洲最大的冰河，我們走上去的是前端冰河分支的冰舌。導遊說再100年後冰河就會完全消失了，現在還有機會走上去真的很幸運🍀 今日はツアーを参加して、ヨーロッパ最大の氷河の上にハイキングしました。 壮大な氷の原の風景がとても感動しました。ガイドによるとこの辺の風景は100年後に全ては消えてしまったです。大自然の力や変化を感動しました。 #glacier #skaftafellglacier #iceland #glaciertour #skaftafellnationalpark (Skaftafell National Park, Iceland)
