This Is Iceland!

2015 ICELAND

WHY I CHOSE ICELAND:

Everybody knows that I love warm water, warm weather and warm colors. Everyone knows that I love the sun and the white sand. And it's not that I wanted to punish myself, but I did want to test myself. Instead of the familiar comforts of the southern, tropical countries I chose somewhere drastically different, a place known for it's chill and it's rain and it's darkness. Iceland sounded different and turned out to be different in so many amazing ways.
Hailey and I travelled around the island for nine spectacular days. We watched as the landscape dramatically changed every thirty miles, from craggy lava fields to brilliant green mossy mountains to tumbling glaciers to jet black beaches to crashing waterfalls to baby blue hot spring pools to steaming volcanos. We stayed in eight different guesthouses across the country and tried in vain to correctly pronounce the names of  towns, roads and landmarks. This was a great trip. I'm glad I took the chance.

This is Reykjavik, the bright capital of Iceland. These many vibrant colors must help the mind during the dark winters.

This is the countryside with eye-popping greenness...

One of dozens upon dozens of waterfalls. Some delicate and wispy, others thunderous and powerful

All beautiful, All different

Sometimes there was just beautiful desolation, wind swept nothingness

And then soon we would run into something truly spectacular!

OR something unearthly and a bit spooky

So much water in every form, fresh glacial rivers coursing toward the crashing sea

We felt the life of a dormant volcano, heat waves shimmering from the mountain like a furness

We walked on infant earth, only 40 years old

Did I mention lakes? Yes Iceland has a lot of those too

And finally...the warm water. Geothermal pools in every Icelandic town

ICELAND HAS IT ALL!