I wondered when I would get around to writing about Iceland. The universe told me now would be a good time.

A few months ago, my dad passed away. Although it still doesn’t feel real, the number one thing that gets me through this is the tons of memories that were made with him. Not just for me, but for everyone that crossed his path. None of us were ready to let him go, but I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t have a great story about my dad. Although we won’t hear him singing Kenny Chesney’s “Young” backing into the garage every night for two months straight, we’ll still have the stories to tell.

Shortly after he retired, I was planning a solo trip to Iceland. New to international solo travel, both my parents weren’t so comfortable with the idea of me going to Iceland by myself. Enter–my newly retired travel companion.

Iceland is amazing. We had a blast. I had purchased a 5 night package through Iceland Air. It included flight, hotel and airport transfers. I don’t remember the exact cost but it was under $600 a person, what a bargain!

We had the week jam packed with activities. The highlight was for sure our 4×4 tour. This included a snowmobile adventure on a glacier. We were joined on this tour with a couple from England. Fun fact, they initially thought my dad and I were a couple, not father daughter….awkward. They were a lot of fun though. Our driver skipped English class to take us on a tour. At one point heading up to the glacier, we could see nothing but white all around us. Our driver had to rely on his Garmin GPS to ensure we didn’t fall off the face of…Iceland. We made it, we had a blast and on the return down our driver had some fun and asked us where we wanted to go, so I said left. He turned left, right into a river, and just kept going. 10/10 recommend doing an off road adventure in Iceland.

We also did the golden circle tour. This is a must for a first timer to Iceland. The Golden Circle is comprised of some of he coolest tourist attractions in Iceland: Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area, and Gullfoss waterfall.

Our next adventure took us on an ATV adventure through the volcano fields. My dad’s ATV had a flat tire, but that didn’t stop him from going as full throttle as he could. All of these adventures provide the participants with a protective suit, helmet, and any other gear you may need.

When we went to book a trip to the Blue Lagoon, the man selling the tickets was very nice. He asked my dad “Are you a senior citizen?” At first, he was like pshh do I look that old?!, but then he asked again with a smile to which he answered…Yes, yes I am.

The Blue Lagoon was amazing. This is totally worth a trip. Its close to the airport and there are shuttles that will pick you up or deliver you to the airport. Ladies, listen up. If you go into the lagoon, either decide not to get your hair wet, or be prepared to use a gallon on conditioner when you get out. My dad found his happy place floating in the Blue Lagoon.

And of course lets not forget the hot dogs. Now, these hotdogs come from a wee little hotdog cart in Reykjavik. You can choose your toppings, or be bold and go all in like we did. We didn’t recognize any of the toppings, but it looked like a ketchup, a mustard, a mayo type topping and this brown sauce that resembled the juice from baked beans. No matter what those toppings were, it was the best hot dog we had ever had!

It’s been awhile since I have visited Iceland, I cherish those memories made with my dad, and loved how he would tell the same stories of our adventures over and over again to anyone that would listen. I hope to return again someday.

If you’re looking to plan your own adventure to Iceland, give Kyanasue a follow over on Instagram, she has some great tips!

~Kel