Iceland

At first, it was just a little blip on the horizon, but as we flew closer we could see the chunks of ice floating in the ocean, and then white caps crashing against its rugged black coastline. Iceland, we were finally there. It is a destination that has been on our hit list for years, but nothing really could have prepared us for our first visit. It literally felt like we have hopped aboard a spaceship and traveled to another planet with its fields of lava that look like they had been frozen in mid-flow, the jagged black basalt rock formations, the thundering waterfalls, the immense glaciers and lagoons fill with huge chunks of turquoise ice, the boiling pots of acid mud. Seriously WTF.

For the next two weeks, it was just us and our motorhome, which we named Ragnar. Iceland was ours to discover. Our itinerary was loose, prior to leaving we had spent a little quality time researching and dropping pins on our Google map of all the locations that we wanted to see. But the rest we left up to chance letting the wind literally determine our course.

Our drive took us around the circumference of the island. Taking our time and stopping at any and every spot that inspired us. Sometimes we would even park Ragnar at a specific spot and stay overnight so that we could catch both the morning and the evening light.

A quick scroll through social media feeds will reveal numerous photos of the island and you might find yourself feeling like you already know exactly what Iceland will be like before you get there. But you don’t know. The reality of the island is that it is far more beautify and mesmerizing than any photo seems to be able to capture. Every bend in the road reveals some new delight and every passing hour a shift in the weather. Iceland, we will be back.