(no) Northern Lights

I dashed out the door the second my boss was out of sight. “People often break up after going on vacation together, you know?” was not what I wanted to hear right before I headed to JFK. I get past airport security and he’s there waiting for me with our luggage. “Where’s my coat?” I ask. I had bought it the day I found out we were going to Iceland. It had been a mild January in New York, and I knew that my peacoat wouldn’t suffice. Great, this is how it starts.

When we landed it was dark. So dark it was hard for me to distinguish water from pavement as we drove away from the airport towards Reykjavik where we had rented an apartment for the week. By the time we got inside the apartment there was a distinctly blue haze covering everything. I rubbed my eyes trying to get a better view of everything around me.

He didn’t want to do anything. I decided to wander around. I walked up a hilly street, lined on both sides by shops, cafes, and restaurants. It reminded me of New York in a way, except there were way fewer people and no t-shirt/DVD/incense peddlers. And lots more hipsters (the ones with trust funds) with their babies. I really hoped there was something to do.

I stopped by an outdoor wear store to check out their coats. I looked at the price tags and didn’t know if I should laugh or cry. I decided to checkout the thrift store across the street and ended up buying an ill-fitting but warm coat (for about as much as the new coat cost hanging in a closet in New York). Those euros, man, they made no sense. I continued my walk and took my camera out to get a few pictures. It’s not everyday you see mountains across water, unless, I suppose, you live here. Of course my camera jammed and I didn’t get any pictures.

I bought two tickets for a Northern Lights tour. The bus departed at 8pm. We were silent as the tour guide told us about the sites we passed. We were silent as we got off the bus and looked up at the sky. We were silent as we took the bus back to the airport. We never did see those Northern Lights.