I’ve been waiting for this day for years… I’m finally taking some time off to visit Europe! I’m filled with so much excitement, that I’m still wired and wide awake, despite sleeping for only four hours. But what I think excites me the most is going to Iceland.
Why Iceland?
So I’ve gotten this question a couple of times: why am I traveling to Iceland in the dead of winter? Isn’t the point of a winter vacation to get away from cloudy skies and the winds of winter?
I was looking at flights over Presidents Day weekend and was originally looking for sunshine. I wanted to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, and on top of that, I wanted to take my mother somewhere new (After-all, she has taken me to China several times, so it’s my time to return the favor). My original thought was to go to The Big Island in Hawaii. It’s easy to get to from Seattle, but not so easy to get there from the Midwest…
That’s when I discovered that flights to Europe from Seattle were only $50 more than going to Hawaii, and even cheaper from the Midwest. Yes, the caveat is that it’s colder and days are shorter, but it is off-peak season, so that means dealing with smaller crowds!
The trick is flying to Europe with a layover in Iceland. With Icelandair, you can fly to virtually any European destination and have a layover in the capital city, Reykjavik. But along with this, people have the ability to stay in Iceland for up to 7 days at no additional cost before continuing on to the final destination. For me, this was a win-win because I’ve wanted to visit Iceland since I was in in the fourth grade!
The Saga Is Just Unfolding
So here I am, sitting in SeaTac airport waiting for the adventure to begin. I’ve got my camera on my shoulder, passport in my hand. I’m taking my first international adventure east of the United States! It’s time for a mini winter bReyk-javik! Next stop: Iceland.