Iceland

When I planned my birthday trip to Iceland, I had one goal in mind: finally see the Northern Lights!

Spoiler alert... I never saw them.

Every single night the skies were covered with clouds. We checked the forecast, crossed our fingers, and looked outside more times than I can count, but Mother Nature had other plans. We did attempt one night but no luck, we stopped at this cool church and waited a bit, but no luck.

Strandarkirkja

And honestly? I'm okay with that.

Because what I got instead was a trip I'll never forget.

One of the coolest parts of this adventure had nothing to do with Iceland itself. It was the people. My birthday group was made up of friends from completely different chapters of my life. Some knew me from school, some from baseball, some from travel ball, and others from years in between. Most of them had never even met before stepping off the plane. (Crazy I know) But within a day, it felt like they'd known each other forever.

So many gorgeous waterfalls in Iceland!

Watching everyone laugh together, share meals, pile into vans, and swap stories from different decades of my life was probably my favorite surprise of the entire trip.

Well... maybe my second favorite.

Because Sky Lagoon absolutely stole the show.

I've been to spas before, but Sky Lagoon is something entirely different. Sitting in the warm geothermal water while looking out over the North Atlantic Ocean is one of the most peaceful experiences I've ever had. The seven step ritual left me feeling completely relaxed, and if you're planning a trip to Iceland, this would be the one thing I would tell you not to skip. If I went back tomorrow, Sky Lagoon would already be on the itinerary.

Beyond that, we packed our days with tours, waterfalls, black sand beaches, incredible scenery, and more photo stops than I can count. Everywhere we looked felt like another postcard.

And then there was the food.

I'll admit, I wasn't sure what to expect before we arrived, especially seeing horse and puffin on the menus, but every restaurant surprised us. Fresh seafood, incredible lamb, amazing soups, desserts... I honestly don't remember having a single disappointing meal. The tomato farm, Fridheimar, was really good but I think ROK was my favorite. Our waitress there even looked like she was right out of the show Vikings. lol Iceland definitely earned a spot on my list of favorite foodie destinations.

Something else I noticed was how beautiful everyone was. The people were welcoming, the towns felt incredibly safe, and there was such a calmness everywhere we went. It felt like a place that naturally encourages you to slow down and enjoy the moment. And no bugs!

Would I have loved to see the Northern Lights? Of course.

That was the original reason for booking the trip.

But somehow not seeing them made me appreciate everything else even more. It also gives me the perfect excuse to plan another adventure someday because those lights are still on my bucket list.

Maybe Norway.
Maybe Finland.

One thing is certain, I'll be chasing them.

And if the next trip is anything like this one, I won't mind if the journey ends up being even better than the destination. - Lory

There was so much more I could mention but wanted to keep this short. If you want our full intierary, send me a message