International travel, for me, was something I always desired but never thought I could do it until “later on” in life. When I supposedly had “more money” and “more time”. But the thing is, life is about the “now” not the “later”. There can be barriers, but honestly international travel is definitely achievable. After going through some personal issues that left me real bummed, I decided life is too short to sulk, wait, and look forward to LIFE happening. Life is NOW and who knows when it is going to end. So, the message for me was: book a ticket to Iceland. Contrary to common belief, Iceland is surprisingly green in comparison to Greenland (which is actually icy). It is filled with tectonic movement, glaciers, volcanoes, and natural hot springs. Not to mention, it is BEAUTIFUL.
Specifics:
My mom and I each booked a tour through IcelandAir ( We chose the Northern Lights and Blue Lagoon Package) and then added on the “Snorkeling between Tectonic Plates” and “Golden Circle Afternoon Tour” to create a package deal (hotel, transfers, and flights included) for a mere $1,100 each! Click below to book your tour today! Honestly, after comparing all the different companies this seemed like the best deal and it definitely was worth it!
http://www.icelandair.us/vacations/
Here are some highlights of our trip! Just click the photo for details and a blown up version:)
Never having left the US (except for Canada), I wasn’t sure what to expect culture-wise and was very surprised with what I saw! First off, Icelanders eat very hearty- legit meat, cheese, veggies, and bread for breakfast. Housing/ design/ and furniture has a very minimalist feel and is very bright colored. For example, our hotel room was 10×10 half yellow, half white, and just had a bed and a few hooks! Their language- Icelandic- is also very different ( and very fast paced) and kind of sounds like a mix between French/ Russian. Thankfully, most Icelanders spoke both Icelandic and English so communication wasn’t completely impossible! As a whole the trip was a blast- definitely an eye opening experience! From snorkeling in 20 degree weather in between tectonic plates to the amazing architecture Iceland was a success!
Packing tips (I wish I had):
Long Underwear- MUST- top and bottoms
Don’t bother with cute shoes or tennis shoes- locals only really wear boots plus, its the only practical shoe to wear in the constant snow/ rain
Bring actual snow gloves and at least 2 pairs of higher mobility gloves
Don’t bother with hair dryers/ straighteners because even with a converter they don’t work
Ski Jacket- I layered thin jackets and I was cold the entire time… Go as puffy as possible!
Don’t bring a water bottle (even empty) since Iceland won’t let you take it through TSA on the way home (unless you check it)
Bring a city map (because there are literally no maps posted or for sale)
Life of a Gal Named Liv 
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