A Look Back at Iceland....
Guest blog post by: Snow Rose (Iceland 2019 Alumni)
Photo by: @kevinrawalsh
Iceland, is a dream. The picture-perfect sights are too stunning to be a reality. Iceland can only be imagined from those that dream beyond their six senses. Iceland in one word in, all its marveling landscape, is dramatic.
Every turn in Iceland is full of magic and wonder; a true gift from past Viking gods. The way the deep blue ocean crashes into the jagged cliffs, is poetry. Water violently hurling itself off the sides of stunning green mountaintops in the most epic waterfalls you’ve ever seen, is music. The magnificent bursting geysers, reaching for the heavens above are Iceland’s veins. The imposing impressive volcanoes are the rhythmic heartbeat of the country. Brushing back the top layer of dust and ash reveals a hypnotizing deep crystal blue glacier that feels like a dance. Hidden amidst the buildings in the bustling capital, is the street art of Reykjavik that serves as a love letter. Icelanders are romantics.
Photo by: @kevinrawalsh
The harshness of a land with such dramatic extremes is what makes Iceland so awe-inspiring and ultimately loved. It’s no doubt tough to live in a land that bounces between a never setting sun and near continuous darkness. The island itself forced its way from the ocean floor to unapologetically disrupt the vastness of the ocean. The ever-changing elements throughout the day could break the will of most mere mortals. However, that Icelandic toughness forges unbreakable resolve and unwavering character.
The untamed elements that compose Iceland have molded the 21st century Viking and they are just as impressive as their ancestors that settled on the island thousands of years ago. It is as if current Icelanders are carved from the Icelandic glacier ice and polished to a beautiful shine from the geyser springs. One Icelandic tour guide described with great beauty the first time he saw the Northern Lights dancing across the sky, as if the past Viking gods were painting a picture across the night sky as a gift for him. As he arose that early winter morning to tend the farm with his grandfather, he could hear the Northern Lights like an angel’s soft humming lullaby. Imagine being that badass that you can HEAR the Northern Lights?
That’s some Viking stuff.
Photo by: @kevinrawalsh
Exploring the land of fire and ice lets you believe you are a Viking for a moment no matter how fleeting. As an honorary Viking you can walk among the lava and glaciers. You can drive on roadways carved through lava fields. Bask in natural healing pools and drink cold glacier water. Bear witness to homes built into the sides of mountains. You can chase a rainbow cast by towering waterfalls only to discover another rainbow and that you’ve been tricked by a troll or an elf. Scale up the side of a mountain to see all the world laid beneath you as you marvel at the most epic, unimaginable view. You can stand in a field of vibrant green grasses and flowers with a 40-mile large glacier to your left, a striking volcano to your right, and a great vast ocean laid out in front of you. The height of Iceland’s peaks brushed with a soft snow is the perfect contradiction to the low of valley floors riddled with craters and pseudo-volcanoes.
Every single thing about Iceland is a curious wonder. Every beautiful element exists in perfect harmony, right down to the smallest pebble on the black sand beaches. It’s a treasure. The country has figured out how to successfully cater to the booming travel industry while preserving its soul and indescribable landscape. Icelanders welcome the millions of people flocking to the island to take in the remarkable sights, however they’ve done an excellent job of not losing their treasure. Iceland is a hand-carved wonder forged both long ago and relatively recently, yet it’s imposing majesty leaves no doubt it will be here long after we’re gone.
~ Snow Rose // VRX Iceland 2019 Alumni
Photo by: @kevinrawalsh
Ready for Iceland 2020 and beyond? Head to our Trip Calendar here
Support VoyEdge RX by clicking through to Amazon here
More Iceland blog posts!
Become a guest blogger by emailing us at: staff@voyedgerx.com
Looking for some pro-tips when it comes to dropping-in at a CrossFit gym? Read this.