I couldn't start this blog post without having THE photo be the first thing you see.
But here's the video too so we stay on brand :)
To start off with the morning, this was absolutely my favorite campsite we’ve stayed at yet, and since Axelle & Nathan had their 9am ice cave hike, Iti and I got to linger a little longer. In all fairness though, it was BECAUSE of their hike that we had to spend the night local and thus found this campsite. Credit where credit is due I suppose, but I digress. Despite staying up until 1:30am uploading photos and swing dancing in the midnight sun with Iti, I think we both feel relatively rested. Last night the duvet was warm, the breeze was gentle through the cracked windows, and holy MOLY having extra body heat makes such a difference. I was straight shivering the first night and definitely romanticized it a little bit more than I should have--it was cold as shiiiiiiiiiiiit. Things only keep looking up each day. We woke up to the cheerful s c r e a m i n g of Axelle having opened the trunk (the best part of our warm burrow) wanting to get in a cuddle. We told her if she asked nicely in French she could, which she obliged, and we enjoyed procrastinating getting out for a minute more. Iti took the initiative before I, and I'll admit it took Axelle ripping the duvet off of me classic-movie style (much to my aggravation).
We all got ready rather quickly, and when we dropped the kids back at the national park for their hike, Iti & I snagged a gas station coffee and did some instagram posting before heading over to a small glacier trail. I felt like a soccer mom dropping her kids for practice and speeding off to do cool-soccer-mom-things. Of course that analogy is only cool because 1) Axelle is an adult, and not an actual child, and 2) Axelle is not MY child-adult. The glacier hike was fairly empty, but the outlooks were pretty rugged and cool so we got some badass photos of Iti in front of the glacial formation and lagoon—like 66*N sponsorship should be arriving at our camper car any second now. She looked completely and definitely capable of winning the hunger games. Of course the moments of exploration were cut short by none other than the massive groups of elderly Chinese tourists, so we scampered back to our campsite to go waterfall hunting.
The receptionist of the campsite was out until 5pm so we reclaimed our freshly-abandoned spot and listened to an elderly couple play their harmonica and ukulele for a minute on the grass. I hope to have a buddy like that one day—in no rush to consume a view or conquer an additional mile, simply happy to sit and be. I suppose that’s what Iti & I were for each other today. Regardless of the fact that we were anchored for 6 hours while A & N hiked, it felt good to have someone to just experience life with for day. It seems like such a simple and good exercise for everyday life as well: give yourself a certain amount of time in a day to just 'be' somewhere, and see what you see, find, and feel. We had our eyes on the small waterfall behind the campground, so we snuck through the neighboring farmer’s pasture (with a questionable fat looking chestnut horse in it) to a promising looking sheep trail, and wove between low trees up the stream towards the fall. Once the hillside opened up a little bit, it ended up being an indescribably sweet little waterfall. One of those scenes that make you almost not want to photograph, or video, or talk. Just sit on the grass, wash your face in the basin, and be thankful. We had some fun practicing our pretzel dance and laughing about the *frisky* potential for a different pair of romantically involved explorers than us, and made our way along the mountain side towards another hopeful waterfall. 1 hour later and lots of branch scratches it ended up being a dead end, so we headed back to camp to download the morning’s photos. We officially got our fill of ridge hiking along the sheep trail, and even met some new horses along the way. Very 4x4 of us to do.
While looking through the photos from the morning glacier trail, the harmonica woman approached us and asked our review of the waterfall, which we gushed about and encouraged her to attempt with her partner. She ended up mentioning having noticed us the day before running and playing at glacier lagoon because of Iti’s red hair…but I think it was also how laughter and life filled our group was :). A main character moment if I'd every had one. I thought that was so funny as we had been noticing her this morning, and it made me pause to reflect on how we're all seeing and experiencing each other in truly beautiful ways, that most of the time, we each have no idea of. Human beings can be really cool sometimes :).
I feel like I’m entering a whole new level of traveling as I venture onward with my crew, but in such a secure and warm way that also feels like I'm bringing a home along with me. They make our road feel like a home, and I’ll hold this friendship with me for my entire life. Iti and I spent the rest of our time waiting on the grass hill at the campsite. Just laying and looking at the sky, chatting about our types, shared lack of desire for kids and careers, as well as our emergency plans if we ever were to have either. We talked about people we knew who had 'checked off all of their boxes' so to speak (marriage, kid, house, 9-5 job, dog, etc.) and how we couldn't fathom that lifestyle within the view of life we have seen so far.
The kids ran late, so we grabbed hot dogs from a gas station and enjoyed the most scenic part of the drive to Höfn. It seemed right to just jam out on the drive for the rest of the way, and push away the knowledge that within 24 hours our travel team would be just a trio. I decided the campsite Marina and I stayed at would be killer, and a good final far-out spot for Iti (as she's planning on taking the bus tomorrow and it's easiest from Höfn so that she won't have to hitchhike). We grabbed some extra groceries and some vodka and gummy bears to send Iti out with a bang before heading to end the day at Vestrahorn. It felt so full to be back where my love for this country began, and now with the people who made it a place that’ll forever define a part of who I am. We laughed deeply, raced over the black dunes until we wheezed, and Iti modeled for us in the sea grass. Driving up I could barely contain the overwhelming joy that was being here again, and on a day that had already marked my heart significantly.
We dined on our signature dish of pasta, which Axelle and Nathan made as their redemption round as I edited photos and Iti set her vodka gummies to marinate. After dinner we started with a gummy drinking (or eating?) game before moving to a old fashioned game of truth or dare. To be honest, it just ended up turning into a truth game, but nonetheless it was fun laughing together for one last night. Going to bed now it's hitting me how Iti leaving is another step away from the summer and into whatever the fall brings. It makes my breath catch at my heart, and I struggle to write much more about it than an emotional stew of thoughts. I'm not sure how I'll react when I say my last goodbye to Axelle and then Iceland as a whole. Jeez. I find myself now still wishing Iti and I had joined in to play harmonica and sing with that old couple—oh how I yearn that life when I get older.
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