Getting In Deeper

When I told my best friend I was going to Iceland, she laughed.
'Iceland? In the middle of January? You're insane.'
I cringed. I had forgotten about the whole minus 20 degrees Celsius thing, and had already booked the ticket. But Iceland turned out the be the love of my life.

Iceland and I first said 'I love you' for the first time in a seedy back alley bar in Reykjavik, at 10pm at night. I was walking down the deserted streets, idly watching my breath form into a cloud in front of me as I peered into an unexpected collection of artshops, cafes and book stores. I, having a soft spot for tattoos and a great deal of time on my hands, had spent the afternoon wandering into tattoo parlours, watching the artists draw.
(One thing no-one seems to tell you about Iceland is how damn artistic are. Being on the World Heritage list for writing probably should have put me on notice.)

After the fifth tattoo parlour, I was headed back to the hostel. I don't know how, but the winter streets of Reykjavik seem to fill you with a sense of unbridled possibility - empty, friendly and cold, Iceland fills you with a heart-bursting excitement. It was then that I spotted a tiny, red-lit bar at the back of a clothing store. Hoping for some live music, I opened the door into a people-filled room. Everyone turned and stared, and I, making myself as small as possible, hurried for the far corner up the back. After I was seated, the woman on the stage began to speak.

Unbelievably, I had unwittingly stumbled across a poetry slam. It was all in Icelandic, and it was incredible. Although I understood none of the words, somehow I received the full force of the poetic emotion. Over the course of the next two hours, people got up and told their incomprehensible stories, and I rose and fell with them. Eventually I emerged from that warm, red-lit room, dazed and emotional, but deeply connected to Iceland. Not even the Northern Lights the next night replicated the wonder and awe I felt in that tiny bar.

So now, whenever someone asks how Iceland is, my answer is the same. Go. Just go. It will never be the same for you as it was for me, but there is beauty to be found in every nook and cranny of that country. It is not flashy, but if you be still, keep your eyes open, and keep your curiosity, you will find beauty in everywhere you look.

Iceland taught me how to travel. And so far, I have said 'I love you' to every country I have been. But Iceland will always be my first.