Iceland, the land of volcanoes, ice and the northern lights. I visited it in May 2022 when the Covid measures were being eased. I was fascinated by the beauty of Iceland’s nature and the cleanliness of the local environment as well as by the cold reticence of the people and the warmth that follows as you get closer to them and they let you into their inner circle. This was my first flight and my first stay far from home, and the moment I crawled out of my comfort shell. I stood on the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates at the same time, ate ice cream wearing a winter jacket and refreshed myself under a waterfall. George R. R. Martin found inspiration for his A Song of Ice and Fire in Iceland’s beauty, and I found my inner peace.
I’m Nina and I turned 22 in 2022. Now I can legally drink in America. I tried a grapefruit radler on Velika planina, but didn’t manage more than a few sips. I still prefer lemonade and am not really a fan of fizzy drinks. I failed the matura examination in secondary school, took a gap year and was building up courage to travel abroad and maybe go on an exchange. But Covid came and forced us to stay in our homes. So, I stayed inside my comfort zone, spending time reading and writing, and something in me kept asking itself if I was going to be locked up my whole life like some kind of princess in a tower, listening to the dragons who say that the world is ugly and unkind. I got a job at a shop, got my driver’s licence and bought myself a car, and then the question popped up – where would I go on holidays? My usual answer would be that I’d stay at home. I spent the summer holidays at home writing novels and poetry, putting friendships I had on hold because of my doubts, fears and low self-esteem. I buried my wishes deep in the darkness until I had to forward my boss my holiday dates and got sick due to Covid. It was then that I started thinking that I can’t be a goldfish in a tank, listening to my dad how home is the safest place to be, or my mom who said I couldn’t get along abroad on my own and that someone would kidnap me. I dug up my wishes, wrote them down, googled travel blogs and videos on YouTube, read all my Globetrotter interviews and took a moment to reflect: I carry out interviews for a travel magazine, I listen to incredible travel stories, I look up at the stars with interest and daydream about infinity, and then I stay at home and pity myself. I felt like a betrayer. I was only familiar with travelling with agency because I used to travel a lot with my mom when I was a kid, but to organise a trip all on your own, knowing you can get lost and that you don’t know anyone – that’s a whole different experience. But something had to be done. I saved up money. I chose a destination – Iceland. Because I like grey weather, the cold and the beauty of nature. Plus, it’s mosquito-free. As it so happens, I have an aunt who travels a lot, has work experience abroad and can help a beginner traveller with advice on how to start travelling. We chose a date, bought the tickets and booked accommodation. I downloaded a phone app that counts down days to important events. And this was one of the greatest endeavours so far for me.
The land is full of special geographic features. From the northern lights to geothermal waters, geysers and volcanic rocks. You can visit glacier lakes, majestic waterfalls and lakes inside glaciers, and admire the northern lights, but the latter is only visible from October until the end of March, so my aunt and I just missed it. Aurora borealis can be fickle like that. Even when the conditions are perfect, it can be quite shy, which is why it’s recommended to take a monster truck tour. Glaciers and volcanoes are only accessible by steep slopes and dangerous roads, so they often can’t be reached by city cars. I was mesmerised by the beautiful mountains, drives in rented cars through fields and meadows dotted with bushes and rocks, and riding the Icelandic horses. Never call them ponies because you’ll get some serious frowns! You can often spot a group of riders when on a tour. And you constantly marvel at breath-taking views. The land doesn’t have any large forests, as there are very little trees. The locals are very eco-conscious and take care of nature. You won’t get a printed-out receipt at a shop, unless you explicitly demand it, and you can’t shop at petrol stations. You can only fill your tank there, pay with a card at a machine and off you go. I should point out, though, that you have to first select an amount before you can start filling your tank. There are no employees at petrol stations, so it’s all up to you. You can listen to the radio while driving and learn Icelandic. I was really surprised at how good the Icelandic music was. It was quite relaxing hearing a different music style and not the run-of-the-mill American songs. At the time, the Eurovision song by the sister group called Systur was the most played one on the radio. Thanks to the song, the trip to Iceland was even more magical. The sisters sing about the Icelandic period of winter darkness that lasts the whole day. In May, days are longer than nights, so we had to cover the windows, as there was light even at eleven in the evening. And it dawned at five in the morning and Iceland started calling for adventure.
My co-workers looked strangely at me when I said I was going to visit a northern country. “Wouldn’t you rather go someplace tropical?”
My aunt and I visited Iceland in spring, so there wasn’t any arctic frost. The temperature was about eleven degrees Celsius, there was a mix of cloudiness and sun, and we got drenched while visiting the Hallgrimskirkje in the capital, Reykjavik. The rain came out of nowhere, then it was all sunny in half an hour, then cloudy again, so the weather there is really fickle. We met a nice gentleman and his grandson. They asked us where we were visiting from and mistaken Slovenia for Slovakia. Nothing new here.
Iceland is a special island. It’s far from the hustle and bustle of the anchored civilisation. All lost in dreams, floating and not in a hurry, as if it were frozen in time. In the next part, I’ll describe the sights I visited and the local culture.
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