One night, I went to let Dakota out and I looked up and saw a light in the sky. It was the Northern Lights! I tried to take a picture, but my camera was just black. I only saw a green color and then white but they were dancing across the sky and really moving. It was truly magical. And completely unexpected.
During my down times, I like to look at Yahoo!Travel....quite a bit actually. And on Saturday, Yahoo! featured a slideshow of destinations that would change your life. There were so many beautiful places, but one struck a chord with me: Iceland.
I found the picture almost hauntingly beautiful.
And then later that night, I was watching "Prometheus" ready to enjoy a Michael Fassbender movie (who I also consider hauntingly beautiful) when the movie opened up showing this gorgeous landscape. I kept asking myself, "Where was this movie filmed???" I was sure it Alaska....and I was wrong. It was filmed in Iceland.
And all of a sudden, I really wanted to go to Iceland some day. It was calling to me the very same way Alaska always has. I always knew one day I would go to Alaska. And when I saw the movie, I felt the same way about Iceland. Iceland was calling.....
And then I thought, "Why not?" Why not go to Iceland one day? So I decided to go the summer of 2014. I didn't think this next summer would work because I was planning on a very long stay in California (including my animals). So I really couldn't go until 2014.
And then I thought, "Why not?" Why can't I go for a week? I knew none of my family or close friends would be able to go with me, so I'd be going by myself. So why couldn't I take a week out of my summer and fly to Iceland? I have some money saved up. I could really afford to do both, if I wanted to. I knew I could find someone to help take care of my pets too.
So I decided to just look around and see what kind of money we were talking about here. So I played around and found a really good deal on a flight (I went directly to the airline)....I seriously saved $1,500 doing that alone. So I booked my fight to Reykjavik, Iceland.
Then I bought a guide book (it hasn't arrived yet.) I thought I had some time to read through the guide books before I picked out a hotel. BUT I decided to look up some hotels in Reykjavik...just to see what kind of money we were talking about. And I really couldn't get a feel because the hotels I looked up were sold out. I became concerned.....
I found a hotel that seemed good....and most travel sites were sold out, however The Priceline Neogotiater (the always delightful William Shatner kicking the prices) found me a good deal in a "sold-out" hotel. It's in a good location, offers a spa service, has a gift shop, a tourist center, and offers room service.....works for me!!!
So now I have plane tickets and a hotel room for my stay in Reykjavik during the first week of July. I'll be spending the 4th of July in a foreign country. I have some tours picked out, but they aren't booking for the 2013 summer yet. More details to follow.....
The thing I think I love most about this whole thing has been people's reactions. No one seems that surprised that I'm going to Iceland. I think back to when I announced I was going to Anchorage for a job fair, and that caused a bigger stir. I think people are getting used to me pulling off a crazy stunt. Like moving to rural Alaska for example. I think back to the girl I used to be and realize how much I've changed in the last 3 years.
I'm not scared to travel to Iceland by myself. I'm not worried about being alone. Sure, I would love it if I had someone I was close to to share the sights with. But I experience that almost everyday. Sometimes, when I'm walking down the hall, and I see a gorgeous sunrise....there's no one I turn to to say, "Wow! Did you see that?" So that doesn't bother me. One day, I'll settle down but for now... eh.
My mom thought Iceland was a weird choice....but then she saw pictures. And there's no real argument against my reasoning. I have the time, money, and inclination. After my last July of being in Akiak and reading 21 books, I've made sure not to repeat having that much time on my hands this next July.
And to be honest, I'm glad to have a new adventure to write about. Rural Alaska is still wild and untamed but most of my experiences I feel have been written about. I want to explore other places too. I really just go from Akiak to Bethel to Anchorage to the Bay Area and back. I want to do more.
Iceland has volcanos, glaciers, waterfalls, geysers, viking museums, horseback riding, geothermic spas....and did you know they have boiling mud? I think Iceland will be exactly what I am looking for! I can't wait actually.
Whenever I go off of what my gut says to do, I find myself at peace. I grow, I learn.....I end up feeling incredibly rewarded. I used to never really go anywhere...maybe just up to Reno to visit my grandparents but that was all. Before long, I'll have a stamp in my passport, new pictures uploaded, and the experience of a lifetime....although, I don't really like saying that....because I plan to have many experiences of a lifetime! OR experiences for many lifetimes!
I leave you with a list of some of my experiences of a lifetime:
Places I've been to/experienced:
*London
*Bath, England
*Stonehenge
*Hampton Court
*New York City
*Empire State Building
*Statue of Liberty
*San Francisco (to a summer program for young actors)
*Hawaii
*Alaska
*Tundra
*Two Oceans: Pacific & Atlantic
*Kuskokwim Ice Road
To Be Continued......
**all pictures off of google images**
