Go Big or Go Home!!....Or Go Home Big....

Hey E'rebody! Sorry it's been so long-midterms got kinda crazy and before I knew it, Fall Break was here! This is probably going to be another novel so just buckle up, cross check, and verify!

So on Friday six other SU students and I left for Reykjavik, Iceland. To be honest, I was so worn out from midterms, I wasn't the most enthusiastic about this trip. I kinda just wanted to stay home and sleep but I knew it would be an experience that I couldn't just back out of. So Friday morning we headed out to the airport. We flew Icelandair which was nice except that they all speak Icelandic and no one could understand the pilot except for the Icelanders...Luckily we didn't die in flight or anything. But the Icelandic didn't stop once we landed. It was EVERYWHERE. I think that's the first time that I've truly felt like an independent adult-walking off the plane into a city where everything is in a different language, with no phone, no computer, and no parents. It was weird. But we made it to our bus and got taken to our hotel. On the way, we passed through the lava fields. That had to be the most unusual thing I've ever seen. On one side of the bus was the Atlantic Ocean with snow-topped mountains from Greenland in the distance and on the other side was this black volcanic rock that created hills and mountains with bits of green moss and grass pocking out. It was such a strange contrast and it was absolutely beautiful. We got to our hotel, checked in, and quickly headed out for dinner. We spent the rest of the night eating, relaxing, and watching Icelandic cartoons. (Don't judge-we took this trip to RELAX).

In the middle of the night, a terrible storm came through and when we woke up, it still looked like a hurricane outside. We ate breakfast and by the time we were done with lunch, it looked like it had cleared up a bit which was nice because we had a horseback riding tour of the lava fields in the early afternoon. One of the best parts of this trip was that we had already paid for everything so little things like the taxi that picked us up to go to the stables, had already been paid for. We got a REALLY nice taxi driver who taught us a little about the 900-year-old glaciers that make the water so fresh and so blue. We were a little sad to get to the stables but that sadness quickly faded. We were given rain gear (just in case) which actually proved useful during the ride and then we were assigned our horses. I was given Solei, a tiny little horse with a personality. All the horses in Iceland are purebred, Iceland horses. They're both shorter and thinner than any horses I've seen so that when you ride, you're not straddling the saddle so much as sitting on it. It made the two hour horse ride much more comfortable to say the least. We rode through the lava fields for a long time and eventually it did, in fact, start pouring again but none of us minded. About half way through the ride, I realized that if I squeezed my knees, I wouldn't bounce so much when we trotted which was nice then but I definitely didn't think ahead to how sore I would be...But the ride was nice and we ended up seeing two full, complete rainbows along the way. It was the very definition of a Double Rainbow! Unfortunately, by this time my hands were so cold from being wet, I was afraid to pull out my camera but apparently some of the others got those pictures so maybe I can find it and put it up later. But it was really beautiful. 

When we got back from riding, we showered and headed out for dinner. There weren't a lot of restaurants near by but we asked the front desk what they recommended. They pointed us to a burger place that was about a ten minute walk away. Coming from London we are all officially great walkers. That is definitely a benefit of staying here. So we made our way over there. It was BY FAR the BEST burger I've ever had. In my entire life. Seriously. The name of the restaurant, when translated from Icelandic, is Burger Factory. Look it up. And then go to Iceland just to eat there. Over the course of the four day trip, the seven of us ate there three times. That's right. Three days in a row. IT WAS THAT GOOD. We had different burgers each time and even varied our desserts. The first visit I had a chocolate milkshake, the second a strawberry Skyre cake (like cheesecake but SO much better), and the last visit, a coffee milkshake. DELICIOUS. Seriously, I'd go back so many more times. Ok, I'm done Steen-ing out about food.

After dinner, we walked around by the bay across the street from the hotel and then headed to our bus to take us on our Northern Lights tour. This was honestly the most disappointing part of the trip. We got picked up at 9:30 and headed out about an hour away from the city to get away from all the lights. And then the rain came back. But our tour guide was determined. We waited and waited and waited and finally it "cleared up" so that in between clouds, you could see what looked like more clouds in thin lines. Our tour guide called these thin, white lines the Northern Lights and forced everyone off the bus to see them. By this time it was 1:30 in the morning and none of us wanted to get off. So we didn't. It was dumb. We got back to the hotel between 2 and 3am and completely crashed. 

After sleeping in, we headed out for lunch (at the burger place, of course) and then went shopping around the town. They had some really cute little stores but EVERYTHING was so expensive. I've yet to find a city that is cheap. It's quite annoying. But eventually we headed back to the hotel for a quick nap. The best part of the trip was yet to come. 

Our bus to the Blue Lagoon picked us up at 4:30. It was about an hour's drive out there but it was SO worth it. The lagoon is a natural hot spring set in a bowl of hardened lava basically. So you're swimming in a natural pool built by cooled lava and filled with a natural, sulfuric spring. The water is this milky, baby blue color and it ranges in temperatures from Luke-warm to scalding hot. We did everything. We got drinks/smoothies from the swim-up bar, we applied the natural facial masks that they provide, we stood near the geyser to get the warmth of the foul-egg-smelling steam on our faces, we hit up the waterfall and the sauna. We got our money's worth. And it was all worth it. The best part was that we were outside the whole time so while we soaked, we got to see the full moon come up and the stars pop out. It was absolutely gorgeous and the perfect way to end our trip. Little did we know that although we were leaving the lagoon, our perfect night had yet to end....

 

Like I said, the Lagoon was out in the middle of nowhere. When we got on the bus (the last one to leave the lagoon and head for the city) we noticed everything around us turn green. The Northern Lights had finally come out to play! Once everyone got on the bus, our driver took us away from the lights of the lagoon and let us take pictures for a while. I must say, I LOVE MY CAMERA. Although they would have turned out better with a tripod, I was one of the few people with a camera able to capture the lights. So enjoy what I got even though they're blurry and grainy. It was absolutely wonderful-definitely the perfect way to end our trip. Everyone was having all these reflective, retrospective life moments and I could only thank God that He created this world with things like the Lights to keep us constantly in awe of His splendor. Honestly, it was mind-boggling to see His artistry in watching these lights dance above us and I'm honored that He chose to share them with us. 

Monday was our last day so naturally, we headed to the burger place for lunch and then to the airport. As wonderful as Iceland was, I was ready for London. I missed my computer and thus my contact with all of you. I will say, however, that the silence of Reykjavik will be missed GREATLY. It was so quiet and peaceful compared to London. 

I'm back for the day and am going to see Wicked for the 8th time tonight! It really never gets old! But tomorrow, Isaac and I are headed to Paris for the day. He'd never been so I offered to go and show him around...what I remember, at least. We're leaving at 3am and we get back between 10 and 11pm. It'll be a long day but it'll definitely be fun. And tomorrow is a special day for another reason! Steven Jones turns 21 tomorrow! Happy Birthday, Honey Bear!!!!!!! (Don't hate me for advertising your birthday, I'm allowed to celebrate your life. So just hush.)

I'll probably post again later this week. After Paris, I don't have anything planned so I'll probably just be relaxing around London and doing some things I haven't gotten to do yet. So ya. Hope you enjoyed and you're doing well!!!

(For More Pictures, as always SEE FACEBOOK)