Cabins, flights (domestic and international) and two hotel rooms are booked as of this morning. All the crucial stuff is squared away.
Now I just have to hope that whatever job I get between now and this summer has a hiring manager who will be OK with my trip. And that the pandemic isn’t still shutting down travel. My trip is 4 months away. If we’re still on lock-down in 4 months then I think there will be way bigger problems to deal with than my vacation.
I mean honestly there are already much larger issues to deal with in my life than my summer vacation, but I’m focusing on this because it gives me something to look forward to and I have a bit of control over it, to an extent. This is my light at the end of the tunnel that has been 2020 so far.
Instead of trying to make same-day connections at the two airports, I have booked a hotel in Reykjavik for the night I land and then one near Keflavik for the night I am leaving. The international airport in Iceland is 45-50 mins away from Reykjavik in Keflavik, and the domestic airport servicing Iceland and also I think Greenland is located in Reykjavik. I’m landing early – 8:30AM – in Iceland from the US. Assuming (!!!) everything goes on schedule. (Spoiler: it won’t.) The point is I gave myself enough time between the two flights (one full day) in case/when something goes wrong and I get delayed. Altogether I have 12 nights in Iceland: 2 nights in hotels in the south and 10 nights in cabins in the north. Two weeks’ total travel. That is a reasonable vacation request.
I get to see Godafoss again. Maybe this time from the ground.
I’m cautiously excited. A lot can go wrong in 4 months. A lot has already gone wrong, which caused me to drop my extensive Norway and Sweden plans. Trying not to dwell on that. I’m really disappointed not to see northern Norway and Sweden this summer. But to be back in Iceland! Feels like a homecoming. I rebooked two of the same places I stayed in last time, and one of the hosts messaged me to say he remembered me and was glad I was returning.
The pilot from Circle Air remembered me from last year, too. We might go to Greenland on a day trip in his Cessna.
These are my people! I found them. I’m going to see them again.
I was just thinking yesterday I don’t have to buy any gear like I did last year – now I have everything I need. However, I might pick up a satnav. That’s the only thing I am missing, and especially if I go hiking up into the highlands I will need a satnav. And I know where everything is, too. It’s not as much of an adventure as going to a brand new place, but that’s ok. I will see parts of Iceland I’ve never seen yet. I will have a rental car the whole time in the north and so will be able to drive all around.
This time I hope to see puffins, do some mountain hiking and cross the Arctic circle. One of the cabins is located on a horse ranch so I will be taking riding lessons on Icelandic ponies.
Sending a plea to whatever gods favor me that nothing else goes wrong. No more hindrances between me and the land of fire and ice. I can already smell the sulfur.
My Scandinavian Summer 