Now THIS is where things start to get wackyyyyyy :)
I'm going to go ahead and consider this the "lost files" of the great road trip of 2022. I know 100% if I don't write it all down here, then it might indeed be lost on me, so cheers to drinking wine later on and reading back all of the off-the-walls that was our post-work road trip.
I rode with Elisa into Reykjavik today as the manager was giving us a lift to the BSI so that Axelle and I could get on to the car rental spot. Elisa and I enjoyed one last jam session on the drive in, and it kind of hit me hardest when it was time for me to go with Axelle right as we arrived. I didn't think much about the reality of missing Elisa really until that moment--how silly of me. I had known it'd be hard to smile as the summer went away, and that I would generally miss her, but I was wholeheartedly unprepared for the "well, this it" moment. It was so much different than just 'moving to Reykjavik,' this was a big goodbye. I'd be lying if I didn't say it felt a little like slipping on ice. It's hard to sort out emotions in the heat of it all though.
Nathan had arrived last night, but I met him officially for the first time as he, Axelle, and I prepared to jump into the iconic company Toyota to embark on the **** m o s t **** awkward car ride ever. I can't even form words to you on how awkward it was. I'm not sure Axelle felt that way, because in all honesty sometimes (most times) situations deemed socially uncomfortable tend to rocket right over her head. I believe this to be intentional on her behalf, but its always ridiculously amusing every time it happens. The manager talked to us about the horses he almost send to slaughter that we were using for guide horses (now we hear it l o l), his plans for the vacation he was leaving on today, and we thanked him profusely for everything as we left. Maybe a little too much, but at the end of the day, I do have to give him credit for not only employing us all this summer, but also giving us each other. Without knowing it (and probably meaning to), he orchestrated the most iconic group of horse riders I think possible, and sparked friendships across seas for years to come. I'll allow him a cheers for that. I wouldn't trade the work this summer for the world, and would never hesitate to recommend anyone to do the same. The bumps of each day kept us on our toes, and made us closer in the end. I would definitely go ride on a tour with the company again to see the horses, and because I love the route and vibe. I think one day all of us would too, because like it or not we learned quite a bit from it all and I know we will each be grateful for years to come.
While Axelle and I still had a little bit of time before we had to meet the car rental, the three of us walked across the street and through central Reykjavik to a cafe (Emilie and the Cool Kids...iykyk) for a bit to wait. I got to know Nathan, we talked about our plans, and Axelle told me Iti was backing out. "She is feeling badly and sick, blahhhh." Although I feel much closer with Iti now than my first hot springs experience, I told Axelle she should be the one to shake Iti out of bed. I also told her unless Iti was coughing up blood or shitting out neon colors, then she had no choice. I feel like she would regret it if she didn't come along. Plus, I assured them, I have an immune system that rivals that of the early cave humans, and as I'd be the one bunking with Iti I am not concerned at all by a cold. Whatever Axelle ended up actually saying I have no idea, but it worked and our spirits raised back to their proper height. About an hour later we left Nathan to his shopping and took the bus to meet the car guy. It's so funny, as we got on the airport bus it was clear that quite literally everyone around us was on their way home from their trip, and desperately tired, but that didn't stop Axelle from gossiping about recent events in Reykjavik at normal conversational tone. Or maybe a *little* louder. Thinking about it now I'm nearly laughing myself off my seat, but each time I responded to Axelle in the conversation I tried to talk super quiet and slow to signal to her the slumbering and aggravated population around us, but she did not catch on until 15 minutes later. At one point in her story she said "It was the most ridiculous thing everrrrr (insert French accent), acting as if he did not hear us at alllll the whole time! I could not believe it!" and the elderly woman behind us whispered to her friend "I can't believe it either." I almost peed myself, but I didn't tell Axelle until after. Eventually she talked herself out and collapsed into a deep nap, so I took that as my cue to sleep as well. I can, now, rest--the work is done.
It took Axelle and I an actually embarrassing amount of time to get the car, and we also paid in cash—which I'm sure made them think "horses" weren't actually horses--but when we finally got on our way we called Nathan and set out meetup point. I convinced Nathan to do the FlyOver Iceland with me (still a favorite, 11/10, oh my GOD) and he lovedddd it, but Axelle continued her nap in the car while we went soaring. Back at the Rvk Barn we quickly packed up the car, stole some blankets (namely the large, thick, horse blanket, I swear that thing has crack in it or something because its truly magical), and collected a very tired Iti. With her things packed in and ready to go, we set out to Ölfus, all the way somehow talking Axelle out of hiking the Reykjdalor. I wasn't up to it again, Iti was working with the muscle energy of an infected child, and I seriously don't think Axelle really wanted to do it all on foot. I assured Nathan we'd have many more hot springs and hikes ahead of us, and he seemed completely ok to move on. As planned, we stopped by the stable to get my things, and ran into a very disgruntled Elisa (to our surprise) and I gave her a bite of my ice cream before leaving her to go reprimand Sabira on the disasters of the day. We then made a trip to Selfoss for groceries and a sleeping mat for the car before finding camp in Hveragerdi (the town area in Ölfus)
Dinner consisted of gas station hot dogs (a delicacy I assure you) as we walked along the river and amongst the trees, figuring out our strategy for Night #1 in the Dacia. Honestly I just wanted to lay in the grass under the canopy, listen to the water, and breathe. I struggle with moments like this sometimes because every bit of my soul wants to hang onto them longer against the tide of life. I then end up over-affirming myself that progression of time is inevitable and ultimately spend the moment imagining future-me dreaming back to the moment I'm in. I'm working on it, but for now my solution is to just lay down when I need to, and feel it all just float downstream with the understanding that there will always be more drifting in to take its place. That thought, amongst my new emotional paper cuts having left Elisa and the horses today weighed a bit heavy on me. Iti was kind and assured it wouldn't last, and that it was better to feel it now and also remember to always keep the reality of the work we did and things we saw close to heart, as well as the romanticized memories. I at least have this journal to ensure that, so that for now, I just let the feelings ebb. They're why I'm up now, at a very sunny midnight in our dacia, writing about it all while it's in my mind in order to smile and laugh at each part of the day once again.
Iti and I took the sleeping mat on the bottom, and Axelle and Nathan took the roof tent. It ended up being such an organized mess, with bags askew in the front seat and dash, and surprisingly a lot of room to stretch out once the back seats were down. The sleeping mat did...something...against the conveniently placed metal bar between the back seat hinge and trunk. Maybe not 5 star...or 3 star...but defntiely better than one star.
Iti and I spent some time before metaphorical lights out encouraging Judith to be the best new mom for Adam (as he had come back after his holiday? to his home at the window) and had us take a cute foot photo because #InfluencersInTheWild, which she sent it to her mom…who thought I was a guy she had picked up and was camping with. LOL. Sometimes imagining the narratives going on back home make even the random, non-glorious moments hilarious. At tooth-brushy-time, the hot steam in the showers made Axelle's glasses fog up, and I laughed nonstop for the next 10 minutes. It had to be one of the cutest things I'd ever seen. Although the campsite is quite crowded and slightly less picturesque, just being here with my three comrades feels warmer than a snowy Christmastime by a hearth.
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