First things first, I took an unannounced blog break during the month of September. Between getting ready for my trip and general life craziness, I chose sleep over the blog.
So now that I am back from Iceland and readjusted from being away, it seemed like the perfect time to tell you all about the most amazing part of my trip.
We saw the NORTHERN LIGHTS!
I don’t know about you, but I’ve kind of been dying to see them since Joey and A.J. saw them on Dawson’s Creek (season 3, right before she starts dating Pacey). Forgive my nerdiness, but be impressed with my useless DC knowledge. Seriously, I am a beast at trivia.
Don’t hate me just yet. I didn’t arrive in Iceland and be like BAM! Aurora Borealis!! It actually took quite a bit of pleading with the Universe and a bit of luck.
First, I needed conditions to be perfect. Clear skies, zero light pollution (go away from the city!) and chill but crisp air. I don’t know how accurate that last one is, but I heard many people say it so it must be true.
For the first four days in Iceland we had the perfect conditions for the lights. But for the first three days we had zero luck finding them.
Chris and I drove out of the city and into a parking lot and literally stood in the windy cold for an hour with our eyes searching the sky. Nothing. Nada. We did see some cool stars though.
The other nights we tried on our own were more of the same. And by this time, I was getting desperate. When I heard a tour guide announce that they would be operating a northern lights tour that evening, I jumped on it! Clearly, I was having zero luck, so I decided to leave it up the a professional. Well, at least someone who knew what they were looking for.
We boarded a charter bus and headed out of the city. Anxious didn’t even begin to describe me during the trip. I fiddled with my camera, hoping that I set it up correctly to shoot in the dark to pass the time. About an hour or so later we arrived to our pitch black location. There was a tiny cafe and a waterfall and a big hill. We watched our group all escape the cold and gather in the cafe relying on our guide to alert them when the magic began.
When Chris and I saw our guide get a cup of coffee and cozy up in the warmth, I marched us outside and we climbed the hill.
The wind was beating us on our backs as we stood there waiting for the last moments of sunlight to leave the sky.
Shortly after darkness took over, the sky became magical. Little pockets in the east that danced their way west. And at one point they went all across the horizon. For about an hour, we watched as they danced before our eyes.
It was one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Seriously, breathtaking.