Originally written in December of 2015.
The safest and possibly happiest I’ve felt in the past several years was the first night I spent in Iceland, in October of 2014.
Traveling alone, I ended up sitting next to another solo girl traveler (Caitlin) on my flight from London and we hit it off immediately. I had no specific plans for my trip, but she did - she had one night to find and photograph a mystical pointed mountain, Kirkjufell. After checking into our hostel in Reykjavik (we had booked the same one, the Kex, which has a reputation for being one of the nicest, coolest hostels in the world) we walked across the street and rented a car. It was about 4 pm, and the sun would be going down in a matter of hours. Regardless, we went through all the car rental formalities as quickly as we could, then started driving north.
All the locals warned that a dangerous storm was on its way, but we drove ahead anyway, listening to Muse and Zero 7 (see below for playlist details) as the sky darkened and we found ourselves alone on the highway and sharing stories.
When we reached Kirkjufell, it was too dark to see the mountain and it was too windy to keep driving. Slightly terrified but mostly exhilarated, we made it to the closest town and hunted down a local hostel through the rain. It was 9 pm and the hostel owner was gone for the day, but several guests welcomed us inside, suggesting we sleep on couches in the small communal area. I wrote in my journal and we talked with the other visitors before falling asleep on the two couches.
When I woke up just before 7 am the next day, a few soft raindrops were still hitting the glass while the beginning of the most perfect, quiet sunrise was lighting up the empty street.
This was my first big solo trip, and there I was, having the kind of experience that I swear I must have willed into existence. I had dreamed about visiting Iceland for years, and at that moment I was filled with a profound feeling of accomplishment and peace. I was in a small town in a remote island country, yet I had never felt so secure, almost as if I had finally come home after a long and tedious journey.
I consider this the beginning of a very profound and necessary transformation within myself, and I couldn't be more grateful for those five days in Iceland and everything that brought me to that moment. The two years since then have brought so many travels and personal changes in my life, and I can't wait to see what adventures this year has to bring. If nothing else, I will always have watched that sunrise.
And if you’re wondering, yes - we did get photos of Kirkjufell in the morning!
I've been very fortunate to be able to travel to 30+ countries while working remotely. If you want to do the same, I wrote a comprehensive guide all about my journey and how others can get the remote, flexible careers of their dreams! And right now the ebook version is only $2.99.
So don't keep waiting for your two weeks of vacation time. Start your next adventure today!
You can also join my exclusive Facebook group for women remote workers, travelers, and those who aspire to go remote! See you there. :)
