If you could not care less about my personal adventure and commentary, head on over to my Iceland Travel Tips page for a shorter, more practical guide to getting the most out of your own Icelandic Adventures!!

Things I quickly learned not to take for granted in the U.S.:

• Walmart
• Drive-thrus
• Mcdonald’s (not that I eat it regularly, but I mean.. $3 for a meal..)
• Gyms
• Prices/clearance
• Convenience stores
• Grocery stores
• Trees

Prior to leaving for Iceland…

Okay, so the day we were leaving for Iceland, I planned to leave school right after the bell rang so I wouldn’t be rushed. Well, I ended up having a meeting during my Planning period and wild kids, so I spent the afternoon signing open enrollment papers and typing up 3 GT (Gifted & Talented) referrals and an Accident Report— one of my kids literally stapled his finger… all the way through.. I still don’t understand how that even happens. I grabbed my stuff and literally sprinted to my car as soon as the last document was finished and sent. Yay, it’s finally time for me to leave, right!? Wrong. I left my phone in my classroom, so I raced back upstairs to my classroom, apologized to my boyfriend, Matt, 19 times for being late and did my best to control my speed as I finally got to put my car in Drive. PS I still had to run to my mom’s work, pick up my prescription, go to the pharmacy to get it filled and was supposed to meet a lady from Facebook 10 minutes ago to pick up a rain jacket I had ordered. Cue heart palpitations… I am sweating just thinking about it all. Anyways.. long story short, the trip had started off quite nicely before I ever even arrived home to load the car! 😉 When I got home, I was in a frenzy make sure I had all mine and Matt’s cash and credit cards in my wallet; my bags in the car; and a few snacks for the road. By some miracle, everything was ready and we FINALLY hit the road to Washington D.C… only an hour late!

As I’m getting ready at our hotel the next morning, I realize I left the following at home: conditioner, jeans, hair dryer, and hairbrush. Who forgets those kinds of necessities? Anyways, I was super adamant about the fact that I NEEDED to find a store, so we Ubered to the nearest Marshall’s we found. I bought some awesome rainproof pants for Glacier Hiking, rain boots, and a pair of jeans. As soon as we get to the register, I fish for my wallet only to realize IT’S MISSING. Panic starts to set in as I remember that it has ALL of our cash and credit cards for the trip. I retraced my every step and checked all over the store, but found nothing. At this point, I’m mainly freaking out because of how ready Matt is to kill me. He pays for my purchase with the only money he has in his wallet. We take an Uber back to the area where I parked, hop out in the middle of traffic and start running across the road toward my car. I looked back and realized Matt had left the Marshall’s bags in the Uber!!!! (I cannot make this up), so he ran back across traffic, stopped the Uber and got the bags. We made it to my car and found my wallet lying safely in my floorboard. Hallelujah!!

**Okay, fast forward to our actual trip… FINALLY!**

DAY 1

Landed and bused to Sixt for our rental car. I HIGHLY recommend renting a car! It is so much more convenient and many of the tours are self-guided driving tours! Click here for some tips on renting a car in Iceland!

We end up getting the hook up with a new Range Rover and they gave us a free handheld WiFi! Score! By the time we made it to Reykjavik, I was pretty much just dead to the world, so I napped in the car while the boys went exploring. They got breakfast at The Laundromat Cafe and said that it was a great deal for the money! They were served 4 courses for under $30 USD (Click here for info on Iceland’s currency–the Króna), which is VERY good in comparison to most other prices we ran into!! Also, you can have your laundry washing in the basement while you eat!

After breakfast (well, my nap), we explored downtown Reykjavik. The architecture and culture did not disappoint. There were so many things to take in! The weather changed from rainy and cold to sunny and warm[er] all within the hour that we trekked around the city. We made friends with a local who told us that they usually experience the weather of all four seasons each day. This was good to know when getting ready each day– lots of layers!

The whole idea of our Hostel excited me all the way up until we actually got to our Hostel. Lol! We stayed at HI Loft, which was fairly cozy and conveniently located right in downtown Reykjavik! I had never stayed in one, so I didn’t realize how high maintenance I was until I learned there were no amenities! It was definitely a learning experience! Luckily, there were two Australian mates there who saw us staring aimlessly at all of the tiny bunk beds and told us just to pick an empty one. There was a bundle of white sheets laying on each bare bunk– I really wish there had been a camera recording as we tried to figure out what we were supposed to do with them… I can only assume how comical it was. (Matt or Ben still had their bedding wrong until like day 3.)

**For anyone wondering, you just put the single sheet on the mattress, and the comforter goes inside of the thicker white sheet. You’re welcome. 

Also, I would like to provide an update into my list of forgotten belongings at this point. They include:

• Hairbrush
• Hair dryer
• Jeans (though these were replaced)
• Flip Flops (for shower)
• Body Wash
• Europlugs (that I ordered specifically for this trip)
• Waterbottle

After getting settled, we decided to just get in the car and go for a ride! It was crazy how many waterfalls we saw as we were driving! There was literally just one after another! I also got to see my first hot spring! (Yes, I learned that these are legitimately HOT! And they smell straight up like SULFUR). We got some cool photos [including one that definitely should have been featured on the hottest mixtape of 2017.] ———————->

We ate dinner at a restaurant in Reykjavik with a huge pig out front (you’re welcome for that super detailed description), also known as Saeta Svinid Gastropub. I had the most delicious and expensive cheeseburger that I have EVER experienced in my 28 years of existence. I highly recommend this restaurant for the little touches and intricacies all around the inside, as well as the quality and taste of their food!

DAY 2

We stopped at a few waterfalls on the way to Vik— again, there are SO many!! We ate lunch for like $80 a person (SLIGHT exaggeration) at Black Beach Restaurant. I wouldn’t recommend dining here for much other than the view, but one perk was that we got to see our very first black beach while eating our meal!! I was in awe!!!!!!        

We went to our meeting point for our ice climb & hike! Huge shoutout to Troll Expeditions for their clear instructions and directions to our meeting place! Our guide, Bjorn, was the BEST ever!! He has been working on the glacier for years and ice-climbs as a hobby, so he really knew the ropes!

The hike itself was magnificent! The black ash on the glacier from the volcano atop the white ice made for the perfect contrast. I just couldn’t get over the scenery. Ice climbing was much more difficult than rock climbing. You use a pick and wear “Crampons” on your feet– I remembered the name due to its similarity to the word “tampons”– but crampons were basically like spikes that you tied onto your shoes. There was no resting during the climb because you’re holding yourself up the whole time– it was extremely tiring! I was the only girl in our group who made it to the top and I was so proud of myself for sticking it out!! Oh, I also peed on the glacier, so there’s something else to mark off the bucket list. 😉

We decided to venture into the small town of Vik to find a restaurant. We drove around to several restaurants that I found on Google, but few appeared open or looked like their pics online (lol!) We finally settled on Halldorskaffi.  I don’t know if we had “stupid Americans” across our face or what, but for whatever reason, we didn’t have very good service. The food was decent, but I would definitely recommend dining closer to Reykjavik if possible!

DAY 3

This was my very favorite outdoorsy day because we had no itinerary. Iceland has one ring road that just loops around the entire island, so we just followed a map and stopped at each of the main attractions we saw on the map or noticed along the way. I recommend building in at least one day to follow these brochures and maps. They should also have these available at your Hostel or hotel! We got out to climb and explore numerous waterfalls and other landforms we found as we drove. We also went to what I referred to as ummm.. the Snuffaluss Pensisula (apparently it is actually called the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.. I was pretty close, right?!) We saw my favorite waterfall and went to the most amazing black beaches!! I stood on the edge of the cliffs, feeling the breeze carry droplets up to meet my face. As I overlooked the waves blanketing the black sand, it hit me that some people will never get to witness exactly what I was experiencing at that moment. I couldn’t resist bringing some stones and sand from this exact beach with me as a reminder to remain humble and grateful for that opportunity.

To add to the beauty of this day, we made PBJ’s for lunch (my favorite meal and much cheaper than eating out!). As we were driving, we saw some wild horses grazing out in the open; there was no fence or gate to restrict them from exploring the vastness of their land and I loved this for them! I even talked Matt & Ben into pulling over so I could go make friends! They were surprisingly friendly and calm. I was shocked at how stocky and short they were in comparison to other horses I’ve seen.

Sidenote: I also peed between two random rocks in the middle of nowhere. (Clearly there was little access to public restrooms).

For dinner, we attempted to eat at a Tapas restaurant— my first mistake was that I had no earthly clue what Tapas was (I mean, is Tapas singular or plural??), but Matt mentioned tacos so I was immediately on board, expecting Mexican food. After being seated at Tapas Barinn, I found that not only they did not know what queso was, but they charged an outrageous amount for baby tacos. It was a very fancy place, though, so this is likely to be many people’s cup of tea.. it just wasn’t mine. 🙂 (We later went to a hot dog stand for me.) After dinner, we went out for a drink at Bjarni Fel, a sports bar on the strip, and then headed home to rest up for our next adventure!

DAY 4

The Blue Lagoon was hands down, one of the most breathtaking places I’ve EVER been. The blues of the water blending with white steam and dark coloring of the surrounding rocks made for an absolutely picturesque experience. We lounged in the warm water with Silica masks covering our faces, talking about the world and living the dream.

{We bought the Premium package which came with lots of extras, including a secret perk that isn’t mentioned on the site (fast-pass entrance– we didn’t have to wait in the long line!) Our package also came with a table reservation at the lovely Lava Restaurant…  I ordered off the kid’s menu and got the same amount of food for $9 as everyone else got for $35! (Finally, my child-like tendencies proved beneficial!) Anyways, what an experience!}

Sidenote: While at the Blue Lagoon, I personally got lost in the locker room for a good 30 minutes… Not only could I not locate my locker, but I also couldn’t find an exit. I would like to state, to my defense, that the locker room was very difficult to navigate! After more attempts than I care to mention, I located my locker and was provided guidance from staff on the location of the exit. Whew! My advice here is just to be careful! They do let you keep the flip-flops though! Woohoo!

We dined at the Hard Rock Cafe in Reykjavik. I realize this sounds so basic, but OMG– it was actually the most delicious food for the best prices. I highly recommend it!! Our server was from Portugal and spoke 5 other languages!! It was crazy to realize how lacking we [Americans] are in our worldly views and knowledge of other cultures. I loved learning about the outlooks, experiences, and cultures of our new German, Australian and Portuguese friends. I never realized how different other countries operate.

PS I FINALLY got a hairbrush on the way home (Yes, I realize I didn’t have a hairbrush until day 4).

DAY 5

We did the Golden Circle Tour! In my opinion, I enjoyed the other areas of the island more, mainly because of all the greenery and waterfalls. The “Golden Circle” is made up of more rocky areas with yellow, brownish scenery (Hence why it’s referred to as “golden” maybe?!). Anyways, we went to Þingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall and the Strokkur Geysir! There were numerous other neat attractions on the way, as there are when doing any of the tours! I did love Gullfoss waterfall! It was MONSTROUS and gorgeous! I’ve never been to Niagra Falls, but I would say that Gullfoss would probably give it a run for its money. We even caught a rainbow stretching right over top! Þingvellir National Park was also interesting for the fact that one of the rifts (Silfra) is the location where two tectonic plates meet! The Strokkur Geysir was the other large attraction we visited. On a personal level, watching water spray up wasn’t a life-changing event for me. My kitchen faucet needs to be replaced, so I mean, I’ve been watching water spray all over the place out of nowhere for months. I would’ve settled for a Youtube video.. buttttt I was also just exhausted if I’m being perfectly honest, so I feel pretty certain that I was just negative and done with viewing nature at this point. I actually wrote in my journal that I would rather “gouge out both eyeballs than have to sit in the car for one more second just to see another waterfall or rock.” Though I admit that this may be slightly dramatic, needless to say, when asked if we should turn around and go view another side of the island for a couple of hours, it was a hard no from me.

When we got back to Reykjavik, we got ready and went to Devito’s Pizza. For future reference, Margherita is just regular cheese pizza! Devito’s was amazing as far as friendliness, helpfulness of staff, and pricing!! I totally get wanting to eat Icelandic food, but I highly recommend it if you don’t care to eat pizza in Iceland!

Prikid was a bar we had seen in passing several times that we were wanting to try so we went there for a couple of drinks! There was a DJ downstairs and a live band upstairs. I definitely recommend Prikid for a fun time and good drinks!!

DAY 6

We FINALLY went to Cafe Babalu! (I kept wanting to go inside everytime we passed it!) It was probably the coziest, most eccentric little cafe I had ever been inside, and it was absolutely delightful. Everything was reasonably priced and DELICIOUS. They also offered “Take Away” coffee, which wasn’t super common elsewhere. Sitting inside Cafe Babalu, I felt like everything in life just seemed so simple! These people served coffee, baked delicious muffins and were genuinely happy doing it. I almost can’t think of a better way to impact the world than to start everyone’s day with a cup of coffee and a warm smile. 🙂

We decided to look at the brochures at our Hostel for ideas on what to do for our last day! We decided on a Guided Horseback Tour at Hraunhestar!!! The staff provided us with clothing and gear to wear atop our own in order to prevent the spreading disease that can come from exposing Icelandic horses with germs from American Horses. We were given horses based on our level of confidence and experience. We all had help saddling and mounting our horses. About 10 seconds after starting on our path, Matt’s horse turned around and took off with him on it!! One of the guides tried to chase after them on her horse but ended up falling off and hitting her head! (I mean, seriously!??) So Matt was MIA for like 45 minutes (The other guide was stressing me out, because I kept asking her to walky-talky and check on him but she wouldn’t!). To my relief, they finally radioed and said he had returned to the stable. Shortly after, he and his stubborn horse caught back up to our group. My horse was, of course, the feisty one and kept kicking other horses, so I kept getting scolded by the tour guides and had to stay in the back.. LOL! We rode through beautiful lava fields [I couldn’t take pictures because it isn’t safe to selfie and steer, but just take my word that it was gorgeous!] We surprisingly all made it back in one piece and warmed up with some delicious hot chocolate. 

We ate dinner at Reykjavik Fish Restaurant. Yes, that is the name of it and it was DELICIOUS!! I typically don’t even eat Fish & Chips but boy am I glad I did!! 

Afterward, we went to several different gift shops and finally settled on the only souvenirs we could afford: magnets. Have I mentioned everything was SO. EXPENSIVE. in Iceland? I mean, they sold a CAN OF AIR for almost $11 USD for God’s sake! Ugh! Click here for DIY souvenir ideas to bring home!!

We decided to spend our last night in Iceland experiencing the nightlife! My FAVORITE club was Austur. It was probably fancier than any other club I’ve ever been to, but the dance floor still became overtaken with half dressed white girls dancing to the Cupid Shuffle, so I was in my element! I enjoyed the Icelandic rap and dance music they played intermittently between Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar (they loveee Kendrick in Iceland!). I also remember the exact moment I heard Xtina’s voice say “Ladies, MOVE! Gentleman, MOVE!” (If you don’t already know what song I am talking about, we can’t be friends!! –kidding.. kind of) If you even knew how many times my friend Nina and I practiced the moves to Dirrty by Christina Aguilera in the mirror, you would probably be more disturbed than impressed. I’m just saying, I could do those moves in my sleep, and now, 20 years later, it was my time to SHINE. If there was anyone else on the dance floor, I wouldn’t have known, because I was in my very own music video by the time the chorus started! It’s like my whole life had led up to this very moment and I was now fulfilling my purpose on this Earth… okay, okay, I’m done. We definitely had fun though!

We used the App AppyHour to find places with the best drink prices, so we ventured out of Austur to a few other pubs on the list before ending up at a, um, Brothel… Yes, a real-life brothel. It was called Shooters Coyote Bar and after watching men walking in and being escorted upstairs to “VIP” by the most glamorously dressed women I had ever seen, I started to question our safety for a split second. I couldn’t stop laughing once I realized I was in a real-life brothel with real-life prostitutes. Evidently, Matt and Ben knew before we ever walked in, so they couldn’t stop laughing at my naivety. Either way, this place had the very best drink prices, so it was worth it. Some locals also showed us a few other dance clubs along the way home.. Who knew that most restaurants in Reykjavik turn into LIT nightclubs after hours?! We stopped in Bjarni Fel again for a drink before ultimately heading back to Austur for another dance-a-thon 😉

DAY 7

We had breakfast at a small, local restaurant called Loki. I ordered the crepes (thin pancakes) but they didn’t know what syrup was so I agreed to whipped cream and fruit jam. I think we paid $30 for the tiniest crepes in the world. Matt had a cold ham and egg sandwich– which was apparently the norm there.

We sadly turned our rental car in and headed to the airport (where I was chosen for a random security check–surprise, surprise!) We were exhausted, but OMG WHAT A TRIP!!!!!!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through my ridiculous narration of our trip!! Don’t forget to head over to my Iceland Travel Tips page for all you need to know when traveling to Iceland!!