She Just Returned From Iceland & Has These Travel Tips For You

People love to talk about their dreams - professional, personal, or literally the one they had last night. Often, dreams of traveling far and wide are discussed, without the belief that it might actually be possible. One night last fall, while studying for finals, my friends and I took a break to research some of our own dream destinations. As it turned out, Iceland has a lot of travel deals - tourism is their main industry! We quickly decided that adventure is a great investment; here are some of the fun facts we learned in Iceland.

1. February in Iceland is warmer than Boston.  

Going to Iceland in February seemed silly - why leave the icy cold of Boston for another cold climate? While packing a lot of layers was certainly useful, we saw retreating icebergs and hiked a mountain in t-shirts. #GlobalWarmingisReal

2. Planning ahead is good, but don’t be too rigid!

Like any trip, it’s important to consider the pros & cons of booking tours or tickets ahead of time (lots of scams out there!). Iceland also uses the kronner, making currency exchange rates confusing and cost-efficiency even more important. We ultimately decided to book a 2-day tour with Extreme Iceland, as well as tickets for the infamous Blue Lagoon. The rest of the trip we left up to our own adventure, using travel blogs and google to create a unique itinerary to fit our interests. This created a great balance - getting comfortable with the terrain and culture via our tour guide Maria, as well as independence and flexibility! 

3. Fresh air is healing, no matter where you are.

After a weekend of exploring outside, and experiencing nature without my phone glued to my hand, it was as though I had a whole new lease on life. It boosted my positivity, and gave me hope for impending post-college graduation life. Maybe this is because the overwhelming natural beauty of Iceland revealed that some things are created without us and are breathtaking nonetheless? You don’t need to travel far for this sensation though - here's a helpful list of trails in RI.

Happy Adventuring!

Grace

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of Grace