Like many travelers, when I plan a vacation, I generally imagine escape in a place with palm trees and sunny temperatures, my morning coffee has exchanged for Pina Coladas and a cold gray sidewalk replaced by golden sand under my toes.
With more than 20 counties to my credit, I have always favored destinations with warmer weather, often jumping trips when friends suggest a destination where I could need a coat and gloves. My hypothesis has always been that icy temperatures would limit my global experience, and any place requiring a jacket at the bottom was not worth it.
Besides, let’s be honest: are you really appreciated when you fight frostbite? A little dramatic, but as a daughter of the Missouri who is not unrelated to harsh winters, paying a flight to reproduce this environment has never been on my mood.
Well, it turned out that I was wrong on the ideal holiday destination, and a solo trip to Reykjavik, Iceland, showed me why.
You do not think of the cold when you see beautiful tourist sites
In a few hours after my arrival in Iceland, I wore a combination of snow while the temperatures plunged below 20 degrees, and on my first adventure: chasing the lights of the North, the gift of the earth of the brilliant natural light that dances in the night sky. The pursuit of the Aurora Borealis also means standing outside at night for long periods at low temperature until the beautiful waves of light are identified.
Despite the wind whisking my face, when the first cry excited “there, they are!” were shown, the other tourists and I were all so dizzy for excitation that the cold was no longer a factor. In fact, I even removed my gloves and braved my freezing fingers to capture the ephemeral moments of the cameras when we talk how lucky we were to spot them.
The next day, I gathered in hot layers to explore the golden circle of Iceland with a visit filled with Jam. We have seen beautiful tourist sites, from the Historical National Park to Thingvellir to the powerful waterfalls of Gullfoss Falls, where it was not only colder but also very windy. However, the amazing landscape, spectacular glaciers and eruption geysers asked me why I would never avoid such natural beauty, all because a few additional layers were necessary.
The author saw the northern lights. With the kind permission of Brittany Vickers
I recharged the night and with a blue lagoon
Since temperatures dropped so low in the evening, it was a natural moment to rest in quality. Usually on vacation, I spend my days full of activities and I leave from sun to the sun, trying to see all the sites and mount as much beach as possible. But in Iceland, I took advantage of the comfortable fire roaring in my hotel, and having the first nights helped me to relax and catch up.
The last day was a spa experience that had exceeded everything I had had on other holidays. I braved cold temperatures to immerse myself and relax in the blue lagoon of Iceland. Its geothermal water is often hailed as a healing for its rich natural elements. Between the lagoon, the sauna and the massages offered, I spent hours in an exciting state of relaxation while being surrounded by unequaled natural beauty.
I already add more cold destinations to my list
For years, I have avoided making trips to cold places, thinking that the temperature would prevent me from really relaxing, but my time in Reykjavik quickly discredits this theory. I learned that beauty and relaxation can be found, regardless of the weather report.
I have already started to add destinations to my list that interested me before, and I can’t wait to explore. Even if it means discussing immaculate beaches for snowy mountains, I want to see everything our world has to offer.
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