The Magic and Powerful Energy of Iceland – Part 3

Why did I shout at the top of my lungs?

No, there was no accident or unpreparedness when it comes to driving on a snowy road in June. I’ll explain a little later. Let’s start by continuing the adventure I had after being confronted with a glacier.

The day after my encounter with a glacier, we spent the night at our host’s friend in Hali.

I experienced my first traditional Icelandic dinner and the people welcomed me as their own right away. Our host was a descendant of the famous Icelandic poet, Þórbergur Þórðarson (1888–1974). I got my own room in their Skyrhúsið Guesthouse, which is a renovated house the writer grew up in (but I thought we would be at our destination on the same day, so I had no idea about this stop; an hour before we arrived, Þóra had got a phone call and said we had to hurry because our friends would be waiting for us with dinner).

In the writer’s lifetime, glacier rivers isolated Iceland’s south and made passage impossible (1930–1960). The inhabitants of this part of Iceland lived in almost complete isolation from the outside world. Visitors were rare. The inhabitants lived off agriculture and fishing.

To survive, they needed to connect with nature and had to learn about the features of the local ecosystem as well as its changeability. They lived in a tight community and in the spirit of mutual assistance.

There’s a quote that has stuck with me and definitely touched my right away. It goes like this: »But once people have had a huge glut of progress, they'll get bored. They'II start talking to the wind and flowers and stones again and listening to the song of the stars.« (from Hymn about the Flower)

The quote got me thinking. How much of everything have we got in this time of progress? How many unnecessary things? Full houses, heavy minds, and yet so much dissatisfaction and boredom... In life, we all yearn for connection, for feelings. And we forget that getting to that is very easy. It’s when we really listen to our inner-selves and give ourselves what truly matters that we can really feel in the simplest things that which we yearn. Love in all its possible forms. Even when talking to the wind and the flowers.

That moment when we start feeling again that we belong.

That we’re part of the planet, which we egocentrically distance ourselves from and create an illusion that we own it. That moment when we forget that this unique globe in the middle of space enables us to live and that we’re connected to everything, that the conditions on this planet even allow us the chance of existing.

Well, just consider it for a moment. Now let me continue with the next plot twist.

The first plot twist – an Icelandic woman, who knew me for two days, gave me her car keys and her car for the entire morning

After dinner, Þóra gave me the car keys and said: “Drive to the glacier in the morning, the stop we made yesterday was too short. Get back before 12 a. m.” I looked at her wide-eyed! Ok, she’s known me for two whole days. And she gave me her car keys after spending five hours together in the car! I was so happy I thanked her and immediately set my alarm clock at 7 a.m., yaaaaaaaaay!

Ever since I had got there, I wanted to travel alone. I couldn’t rent a car because I was a student. And now I got one, as simple as that, just by chance.

I fell asleep with a smile on my face. I woke up in the morning, got in the “fancy car”, as Þóra said, and drove back to the glacier. Simply divine! I took my time and blended into the new environment. I was back at 12 a. m. And, again, a surprise!

The second plot twist – I get to keep the car for the entire afternoon

“Veronika, I’ll go ahead with my friend.” I looked at her: “Erm, what?” She said: “Yes, I was thinking and there’s a lot we need to talk about. Take the car and we’ll meet in Breiðdalsvík.” I didn’t hide my surprise and joy, and my heart was racing.

Whaaat? I’ve got a car! I looked up on Google Maps, which showed a three hours’ ride, which meant being all by myself with cloudy weather that makes the Icelandic landscape so much more mysterious! Wow!

And I went. I probably drove off about five minutes after the conversation. I swiftly packed and left before them, so I could have time to make some stops and admire the landscape. What could possibly be better than the endless Icelandic road where there’s no one in sight. Two cars passed by after an hour. I was laughing with a broad smile and playing my Viking music. I stopped when I felt like it. During all that, I stopped for a short, ten-minute walk to a waterfall, turned around and even saw an entire rainbow... I have also realised, that this is not just a land of fire and ice, it is also a land of rainbows!

The third plot twist – apparently, I got the car for the whole day!

Nearing our rendezvous, they called me. “Hey, hun, where are you?” I told her where I was and she said: “Oh, we’re just a bit ahead of you, we’ll see you in Egilsstaðir. That’s where we have to swap the car.” I simply laughed again. Ok, it seemed I would have to drive alone for an hour and a half. Great! After an hour, they called me again, asking me where I was. I told them, and they said: “Oh, we’re 40 minutes ahead of you!” I didn’t’ see how that was possible, but they told me they took another road and that I should stick to Road 1, since my car wasn’t a four-wheel drive. She asked me if I would be able to swap the car by myself. I told her that yes, it was no big deal. She sent me a picture of the car and told me where the keys were. Well, seemed like I would be driving by myself to Seyðisfjörður!

I arrived in Egilsstaðir. It was the first time I tanked a car in Iceland. I was trying to figure out how to do that exactly, since you had to pay at the machine before you started filling up the tank. I had no idea how much money I needed. But I managed. With the help of Google Maps, I even found the company where I was supposed to swap the car. When that was done, I entered my destination into the navigation – Seyðisfjördur, finally! After a whole day’s ride, plot twists and an inspiring landscape...

OK. WHAT??? The navigation led me uphill. Over a mountain pass!

Well, that’s what happens when you have no idea where you’re going.

So, you can get to Seyðisfjördur either over a mountain pass or by ferry/boat! The higher and higher I went, the clearer it became that those weren’t just “some” hills. There was snow all around. A view of the valley and the town of Egilsstaðir, lit by the light of the sunset. A big smile on my face. I was listening to my then favourite music and said out loud: “Thanks, life, for this!”

When I arrived at the top of the pass, my feelings intensified. I love snow. I’m a true winter child (well, even my birthday is on 23 December, making me an actual winter child). When it’s cold outside and the landscape is covered in snow, that’s when I come to life and my eyes glow.

And now it was June and I drove all the way to the top of the pass and I was surrounded by complete whiteness. It was the complete opposite of Reykjavik, the city. Snow in combination with the divine light of a sunset and the sheen from the snow crystals in orange-y light in the middle of the mountains intensified my feelings of joy and gratefulness to a point where I started yelling and screaming of joy, while stopping in the middle of the road (no worries, I was alone in the middle of nowhere)!

When I started descending, a view of a charming little fjord town cleared before me. The peaks of the black mountains were dusted in white. Colourful houses, fluffy sheep jumping around, a river winding from the mountains towards the sea, and the waterfall that accompanied me on my descent into the valley. I arrived!

I was in Iceland and I got a car, something I wished for the most. I got snow, which was something I had missed. I was surrounded by nature in a charming town and found myself in the cosiest of hostels with the most kind-hearted hostess, whom I hugged and thanked as soon as I got there. It was love at first sight. It felt like home. I even met a new furry friend (check the pictures!), got my own room and, with a smile on my face and a heart filled with love, fell asleep after a long drive and an incredibly eventful day.