Random Thoughts on Travel

We've come a long way - literally and figuratively - from our first trip together. In August of 1982 we drove from New York to California before we started grad school (him) and med school (me). We learned a lot about each other on that trip, starting with how long a day was going to be. David was determined to log as many miles as possible on travel days. I thought we should stop before dinner and relax in the evening. Since I'm writing this at 5:00 PM and we're about to go soak in the hot tub before we shower and change for dinner, you can see how that one worked out - eventually.

It's important to find the right rhythm when you're traveling with someone else. How many planned stops? How much extra time for the drive to allow for impromptu side trips? Souvenir shopping? Other kinds of shopping? Picnic by the roadside or lunch indoors? Sleep late? Set an alarm? It requires a lot of negotiation. Nearly 40 years on, we have a basic schedule we like - we plan a few things, and always leave room for sudden discoveries. We didn't plan either of today's stops ahead of time, unless you count 11:00 last night, when I found the waterfall we went to see. The other stop was "oh, look, that's interesting."

It feels odd to me to put on hiking boots and hiking pants to basically climb a staircase. Iceland has a lot of infrastructure in their parks and national recreation areas (or their equivalent thereof). There are stairs, boardwalks, arrows, informational signs, and ropes to keep you on the trail. Given the number of tourists we saw and knowing it's not anywhere near peak, I understand why. It still feels odd to climb up a wooden staircase when I'm dressed for the wilderness.

See what I mean? There was also some actual hiking.

English is the lingua franca in Iceland, which makes it very easy for us, but does make me feel a bit like the ugly American who expects every to speak my language. Yesterday at lunch we sat next to a couple who must have been on their first date. She was German, he was Icelandic, and we knew it was a first date because they were speaking English. The guide for our ice cave tour was Australian and the marine biologist on the whale cruise yesterday was from the UK.

I'm trying to live in the moment but I can't help thinking about the next trip. We want to come back to Iceland in the summer, and there are so many other places to go....