So I took a trip to iceland... It was sort of on a whim. I knew I wanted to go on vacation, but I couldn't decide where. My friend Gudrun, who lives in Reykjavik, suggested it almost jokingly, I think, but I seriously looked into it. The deciding factor was the plane fare. I flew to Iceland for what it would cost to fly to California. Looking back, I think I had a lot more fun visitng and learning about Iceland with a native than I would have had in California on my own. I want to thank my friend Gudrun for suggesting it and for providing a place to sleep and for showing her beautiful country to me. I really had a great time there!

At first glance, one would not think that it's a country to take a vacation in. It's Iceland. Covered in ice, right? Wrong. <g> The names of Iceland and Greenland are backwards. Iceland is in many places, covered in grassy green fields and pastures where sheep and farms are kept. Greeland, on the other hand, is nearly completely covered in glaciers; a vast wasteland of ice and snow. The Vikings were pretty clever, huh?

So, when I had booked my tickets, I started learning about this unique island country that I was going to visit... Settled by the Vikings over 1000 years ago. Home of Lief Eriksson, the real person who discovered the new world. An island created by volcanoes that sits on the North Atlantic Ridge. Populated by a mere 260,000 people who speak a language that is closer to the Old Norse language than any of the other Scandinavian languages. A very clean country, fueled by geothermal and hydroelectric power and naturally-heated homes and hot water. A country with the highest life expectancy in the world.

I figured I knew a lot about iceland by the time I was ready to go. I was wrong. <g> There's so much more than what you can read in a book and see in pictures.