We made the decision when we left for Iceland to completely disconnect from the world: no email, no text messages, no phone calls (posting to Instagram was the only exception). I decided after this trip that disconnecting is absolutely my favorite way to travel. It allowed us both to fully live in the moment. Specifically in Iceland, when you can drive for hours and barely see any civilization, technology feels unnatural. The trip was such a beautiful reminder to seek peace and quiet every once in a while. To go on a lone adventure or curl up in the park with a book, to disconnect and reflect.
During our week, we explored the southern part of the country. We quickly discovered (on a journey in our rental car that ended up in plenty of detours) that Iceland has the most unexpected terrain. One minute you are driving on a paved road looking out in the distance to see rolling hills and the next minute you are on a gravel road, dodging potholes and looking at a terrain that seems strikingly similar to what you picture the moon to be - giant fields of stones and black dirt. Then five minutes later you run into a waterfall. As soon as you get used to seeing one thing, you're in awe by the next. It's a pretty inspiring and incredible experience.
Some highlights include:
+ Getting lost and ending up on a drive through Skaftafall National Park
+ Going to the Blue Lagoon - yes, it may be the biggest tourist attraction, but it is one of the coolest places.
+ The charm of the town of Vik and the little church that sits above it.
+ The waterfalls! Each one of them, no matter how many you see, is different and mind-blowing and stunningly beautiful.
+ Seeing and walking on one of the glaciers. It's just one of those experiences that may never happen again
+ The horses! They are the only country with this original breed. They're gorgeous.
