Iceland

Iceland is the safest country in the world, making it a great place for a first-time solo traveller like me. As a beginner, I didn't know what to expect going into the trip, but I certainly found what I was looking for.

The highlights of my trip included the people, the capital city Reykjavík, the Leioarendi lava cave, which is where a stream of lava used to flow. The coolest part was when they turned out all the lights in the cave, and it was SO DARK you could go blind if you were in there for too long, and all you hear is water dripping. To add, my view at the farmhouse I stayed at was the Hekla volcano (still active and overdue for an eruption!), the hot spring at sunrise, star gazing from the jacuzzi at the farmhouse where I was staying, getting lost between the Eurasian and North America tectonic plates because I was so busy talking, and my favourites, hiking a glacier and seeing the Northern Lights. 

Seeing the Northern lights gave me goosebumps because my guide told us they were a gift from Mother Nature as it's a sign that the earth is protecting us. He also said you can’t anticipate them, and the more you want it, the less likely it’ll come, so we have to be patient. The story behind us seeing the Northern Lights is a good one. We had just gotten back to the farmhouse after a long day, and my roommate came to the room super serious saying “I think I see something”, referring to the sky. I bolted out the door with my coat while she washed up to keep watch. Soon after, my roommate joined me outside, and we started jumping because we saw faint lights appear. We knew how faint lights looked because the night before, we stayed out in the dark in lawn chairs and blankets, sat in silence, hoping to see the lights, and even played Icelandic music to lure them (it didn't work). Once we were sure, we knocked on the dining room window, and everyone ran outside. At one point, I was staring up at the sky, getting emotional because I wished to see them the night before as my birthday gift, and when I looked down, I saw my roommate lying on the ground doing the same.

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