travelher stories
Thank you for visiting! Here you will find a collection of travel stories from women around the world. Each one is as unique and varied as the next. Enjoy!
Iceland is such a beautiful place. Being from New Zealand, I was of the biased opinion that no country could come close to rivalling my home in beauty. But I must say that Iceland is that country. According to the internet, I have visited 17 per cent of all the world’s countries. That’s a total of 37 nations (including Vatican City and Monaco, which feels like cheating a little bit). My point is that I really like to travel. When I think back on my more memorable travel experiences, they usually involve some level of personal challenge whether it’s academically, culturally, or socially. A leadership conference in Vietnam, my first big overseas experience (“O.E.” as they say in New Zealand), and an intensive French language exchange program in New Caledonia are some examples that spring to mind. Recently, I took a different sort of trip and spent a week travelling around Iceland—resulting in what I realise now are some of my most treasured travel memories. An Australian friend who I met on my aforementioned O.E. told me that she was planning a trip to the small Nordic island in September and asked if I wanted to come. Umm… yes, please! The initial phase of research involved feeling very overwhelmed about how we were going to get around and the route we were going to take. Thankfully, there were many helpful travel blogs (bless them) from which to seek advice, and that guidance suggested we hire a car, pointed out the best places to stay and recommended eating petrol station hot dogs since food everywhere else was so expensive. The thought of driving all 1,332 kilometres around the circumference of Iceland on the right-hand side of the road was a daunting one. Luckily I was travelling with two level-headed friends, and we were able to split up the driving, not to mention the cost of petrol. The trickiest part was getting the hang of driving in the left-hand driver’s seat. I lost count of how many times I mistakenly clutched my left leg intending to put on the handbrake. Very awkward. Iceland is such a beautiful place. Being from New Zealand, I was of the biased opinion that no country could come close to rivalling my home in beauty. But I must say that Iceland is that country. The sheer variety of stunning landscapes was incredible. In just a few days, we saw five waterfalls, natural hot springs, a massive glacier, black sand beaches, a lagoon filled with icebergs and lava fields covered in soft, springy moss. Not to mention the shell of an abandoned plane which had to make an emergency landing on one of the black sand beaches. I know a lot of people go to Iceland to see the Northern Lights. We weren’t particularly hopeful because it wasn’t the ‘high season’ and the weather forecast was looking cloudy. We were least expecting to see them in Reykjavik where the city’s light pollution tends to add an extra layer of difficulty. However, somehow the odds were in our favour. On our first night in Reykjavik, we had just bought ourselves lobster rolls from a food truck on the street. It was raining, so we were huddling together under a small canopy eating our hugely expensive takeaway dinner. I saw a girl pointing to the sky, took a look, and there they were. A glimmer of green and pink pulsing lights seen through a break in the clouds. It was a pretty special moment. I’m not sure if I will ever go back to Iceland. It’s a magical place a bit like Disneyland, and I’m afraid that if I go back, it won’t be quite the same. For now, I’m just happy reminiscing about the land of waterfalls and rainbows. Claire Choe is a New Zealander living in London. By day, she works in marketing on a canal-boat-turned-office on the Thames. In her spare time, she heads up the ever-entertaining (and mouth-watering) Garlic Bread Club and sets out on adventures with the ultimate travel companion, the Travel Chicken. Author - Claire ChoeClaire Choe is a New Zealander living in London. By day, she works in charity advertising on a canal-boat-turned-office on Regent's Canal. In her spare time, she heads up the ever-entertaining (and mouth-watering) Garlic Bread Club and sets out on adventures with the ultimate travel companion, Travel Chicken.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
discover more |
Learn more |
Get a Regular dose |
Copyright © 2019
|