10 Years in the Real World...

What the what?! I graduated from college 10 years ago next month. Where did the time go? I still feel like I am 23 some days (except those mornings after a few too many glasses of wine...), and I feel like I'm just now figuring out this whole "adulting" thing. Not that I've been an adult for 10 years already. Good lord.

 Anywho, I went to Drake University in good ol' Des Moines, Iowa. I never planned to go to school in Iowa, and all through high school I wanted to go to a big state school, but Drake kind of snuck up on me. I loved the small class sizes, that classes were actually taught by professors and not TAs, and the campus (or at least most of it) was exactly what I imagined a college campus should look like. Well, at least a college campus that wasn't an Ivy League school. :) And, it was far enough away from home in Minneapolis that I felt like I was spreading my wings, but close enough I could go home for the weekend if I wanted.

 So I moved myself to Des Moines. I joined a sorority, and I found my tribe. We had a whole lot of fun and me, the only child, had a house full of sisters.

 4 years flew by and all of the sudden my time in Des Moines was over. The city changed and grew up a little bit with us, and the kind-of crappy place I moved into as a 17 year old was blossoming into a kind-of lovely place.

 Ok, enough my waxing poetic. Des Moines is pretty damn awesome these days, with great restaurants and brewpubs and culture and of course, Drake Relays. Relays was a huge part of the college experience for us; a huge track meet that made Drake feel like a big state school and a ton of parties and other campus events. Where most schools welcome back alumni during the fall for homecoming football games, Drake Alumni return in droves each spring for Relays.

 A bunch of my sorority sisters and I got together for a weekend full of reminiscing, revisiting our old college bars, eating at some great new restaurants, and visiting our house. It was such a special weekend! By far my favorite moment was going back to The West End Lounge, where we spent many of our college nights. While there, we ran into a group of 25 year reunion Thetas, as well as some girls who are graduating this year. All of us shared in our love for the bar, shared some memories from our time in the house, and were pleasantly surprised to see how some things never change.

(And I should note... no amount of "training" will prepare you for a Relays weekend once you are in your thirties!)

Iceland Recap

I think I'm still recovering from my Iceland hangover (both boozy hangover and just general "OMG I can't believe I just went to Iceland!" hangover). I have been obsessing over travel blogs and pinterest boards and anything and everything I can find that is Iceland related. It is crazy that 4 days in a place could affect me this way! I mean, I've returned from some trips that took time to process and find the joy and beauty in them (ahem, Egypt & Ecuador), and from other trips where I've really enjoyed myself, but I've never felt such a strong urge to return (and as quickly as possible) as I do now.

I could gush for ever and ever, but I'd also like to jot down what I did each day so I have a record and so it could maybe help someone else plan their own Iceland trip! Also, I want to note that I did this trip solo, and felt 100% safe the entire time. I'll post more about solo travel soon, but in case anyone is unsure of whether to make that leap -- Reykjavik was PERFECT for a solo trip. I ran into a ton of other people on their own -- so if you want to travel solo but not be "alone", you can totally do that.

Day 1
I had my usual sleep aid/wine cocktail on the flight knowing I would want to hit the ground running when I got into Reykjavik at 6am. It was still dark when we landed and I made my way to the FlyBus -- the super organized transfer from the airport to Reykjavik's main bus station. It's so cool cause the buses are just there based on arriving flights -- if a flight is delayed, you don't have to worry about missing the bus! I booked a FlyBus+ ticket that would take me to my hotel, since I'm generally pretty groggy post-sleep aid and disoriented in a new city. Some people just walked from the bus station, but really, just spend the extra couple of dollars for the transfer. You have to get off the big bus and onto a smaller bus, but they get you right to your hotel within a couple of stops. And after a long day/night of travel, it's nice to have someone else drive you around and not have to struggle with finding your hotel first thing.

After I got to my hotel and dropped my bags, I warmed myself with a quick cup of coffee and made a general wandering "plan". Also, put on more layers cause it was COLD! I mean, I'm from Minnesota so winter is nothing new to me, but the first few wind blasts were brutal! So glad I had packed my full length down coat and a billion layers (Iceland is definitely a place where practical clothing wins over style in the winter).

I decided my first stop should be to check out the lay of the land from the bell tower of Hallgrimskirkja, the largest church in Iceland.  It is absolutely gorgeous inside, very minimalist and very Nordic. Not to mention a great statue of Leif Ericsson on the square outside -- it really made me feel my Scandinavian roots! Tickets to the bell tower are sold in the church and there is an elevator to take you up -- there are some stairs to get to the very top, but no more than 20. The view from the top is great -- you can see all of Reykjavik and the surrounding area on a clear day!

After my visit to Hallgrimskirkja, I wandered down that main street you see above towards the harbor. The street angles to the left nearer to the water and takes you toward the Gray Line bus station (a vital spot for later in the trip!) and further on into old "downtown" Reykjavik.  The town is really easy to discover on foot, and worth just general wandering. It was pretty cold though, and there were frequent 5-10 minute micro-blizzards, so as soon as it was open, I stopped into the Settlement 871 +/-2 Museum, which details the Icelandic settlement. It even has an excavated Viking long house, right in the middle of downtown. It was really great, and well worth the entry fee. Definitely recommend. I also ventured into the art museum (which actually consists of 3 separate buildings in Reykjavik). The building I saw had all of the modern art, which isn't really to my taste, but I still enjoyed the visit. Your entry fee paid at one gets you into all of the buildings for 24 hours.

After the museums, it was time to find the little hot dog stand I had read and seen so much about! Just around the corner from the art museum is this little stand with a permanent line of people. For hot dogs!  But, I am a huge believer and supporter of local street food, so I had to check this out. And you guys, it was the BEST. HOT. DOG. EVER.  Like, how do they make it that good? The line was maybe only 5 minutes when I went around lunch time on a freezing cold March day. But I heard stories that the wait at bar close (4am!) in the summer is like 45 minutes. I would totally wait that long.  In fact, I loved it so much, I went back again the next day -- and had 2 hot dogs on that visit.  SO GOOD.  The dog itself is a mix of beef, lamb & pork, but it's the toppings that make it so yummy - fresh onions, crunchy fried onions, remoulade, and a sweet mustard. Get it with everything and just go to town. You won't be sorry!

After my morning wandering (and freezing!) and my hot dog, I walked back to the hotel to see if I could check in to my room -- I was in desperate need of a nap. I felt pretty guilty about taking a nap when I only had a few days for my visit, but I knew that without it, I wouldn't be able to enjoy the Northern Lights tour I had arranged for that evening.

Unfortunately, my hunt for Northern Lights was a total bust -- we had a full moon, but too many clouds to see the aurora. I was disappointed, but nature made up for -- I got to see them here in MN just after I got back! (see my earlier post about it here). The tour was cool though because they gave us a lot of details about the areas we were driving through (although hard to see in the dark!) in western Iceland. We got back into Reykjavik around 1:30am and were dropped off near Hallgrimskirkja. Thank goodness I had gotten my bearings earlier in the day so I could find my way back to my hotel. Like I said before, Reykjavik is super safe and I felt totally comfortable walking around on my own, even at such a late hour. In fact, I felt safer there then I often do wandering home at bar close in Minneapolis!

Day 2

I booked a "Reykjavik City Tour" for the morning of day 2. I was really worried that it would just show me the same things I had wandered through the day before, but it actually took us out of Reykjavik (those big buses can't really drive around in downtown anyway!) and we got to see a neighboring harbor town, the house where the President lives (with NO security! so different from the US!), and took a trip to Perlan, which is kind of this event center/tourist trap/observation deck built on top of 4 giant water tanks. It actually was pretty cool -- and when the clouds cleared we had a great view of the city and water. I think if I were to go to Reykjavik again for the first time, I'd probably still book this tour - I really liked that it took us to a neighboring town. You could also rent a car and get yourself to one of those towns, but I was so nervous about solo travel when I was planning that I went with more guided tours than "on my own" time.  

In the afternoon, I joined a free walking tour of Reykjavik, with Marteinn who founded CityWalk Reykjavik.  His tour was fantastic and his business is taking off for a very good reason! I try to find a free (or cheap) walking tour in every city I travel to -- it's always so much more personal and more in-depth than the big tour companies. Marteinn gave us Icelandic lessons, history lessons, Icelandic candy, and told a bunch of jokes. We saw a ton and I learned a lot! We had like 60 people on the tour and he even had to turn some people away. Make a reservation! He walks in any weather, so be prepared. And Iceland's weather changes about every 5 minutes, so it is likely you will get sun, wind, rain & snow all in a 2 hour walk. :)

After the walk, I made my way to the Gray Line station for my next tour -- through a brewery! Iceland had weird prohibition laws on beer until 1989 (crazy, right?!), and they celebrate Beer Day every March 1st. I missed it by just a few days! Read more about Iceland's weird beer history here. Better yet, go to Iceland and take the "Taste the Saga" tour. We got to try a bunch of beers, a "doctored" beer+vodka drink, and a shot of Brennevin, licorice tasting Icelandic schnapps (also known as "the black death"). I love ouzo and sambuca, so I thought it was great -- others, not so much.

After the brewery, a bunch of us from the tour decided to stick together (see earlier note about meeting new people!) and check out Reykjavik's legendary nightlife -- which really doesn't get going until about midnight. We were pretty early to the party (no one goes to the bar at 8pm but tourists!), but had a great time and checked out a couple of different bars. It was a lot of fun! I even had a fun flirtation with a British guy. That accent will get me every time!

Day 3

My hangover from the night before was rough -- especially because I had booked a full day "foodie" tour of the Golden Circle.  Had I known I was going to be out until the wee hours, I probably wouldn't have booked the full day and allowed myself to sleep in, but I powered through it. Me and a van full of 60-something year old couples, and one solo guy in his late 30s. Guess how often the couples attempted to match-make us throughout the day? 

Anyway, we ventured off to see Geysir, Gullfoss, and Thingvellir, with stops at local farms and greenhouses to taste some delicious local foods and see how Icelanders are using the thermal water to grow their own tomatoes, herbs, and even grapes. I mean, when you live on an island in the middle of the North Atlantic, you've got to get creative!  It was a good tour, but long - in fact, we ran like 2 hours longer than we should have, but the group was small and our guide and driver didn't mind, so we just went with it. My hangover finally faded mid-afternoon (right about the time I was trying not to slide down the icy stairs at Gullfoss!), so after that I felt much better.

And apparently, all of those not-so-subtle match making hints the group kept making made some sort of impact to the solo guy - as soon as we were off the bus he asked me to join him for a drink. Um, WHY DOESN'T THIS SORT OF THING HAPPEN TO ME IN THE U.S.?! Dates have been few and far between for me for awhile, and then all of the sudden, BAM!, I'm meeting all kinds of guys. In Iceland.  Oh well - it was nice to chat with him for a bit, even if he was a little narcissistic. We met the craziest guy at the bar who tried to convince us to go to this secret "hotpot" he knew of a few hours away.  It is not story that translates well to text, unfortunately. It requires hand motions and accents. I hadn't laughed so hard (while running out of the bar with a perfect stranger) in a while. Solo guy and I said our good nights (I think probably earlier than he'd have liked) and I went off to pack -- my quick trip was already almost over!

Day 4

Iceland's main industry these days is tourism, and boy, do they know what they are doing! Especially when it comes to the Blue Lagoon. Since Icelandair is a great lower cost flight option to Europe, a ton of people have a built in layover in Iceland. And they aren't stupid -- they make those layovers 8-9 hours so you want to get out of the airport - and go to the Blue Lagoon! You can literally take a bus from the airport to the lagoon and back in that time. I arranged to go there on my way to the airport, a perfect little spa relaxation before the flight home. I booked the upgraded package that included a robe (to rent), flip flops (to keep), a drink at the lagoon bar, and a special mini-spa pack. I loved the little wristbands that registered any purchases so you didn't have to worry about money in the lagoon! And drinking some prosecco while you soak in what is essentially a giant hot tub is pretty much the life. Definitely touristy, but not to be missed!

After I showered up (be sure to put in a TON of conditioner - and leave it in - before you go in the lagoon to save your hair!), I retrieved my luggage from storage and got on the bus to the airport. All warm and relaxed. :)  My flight ended up delayed quite a bit due to a not-so-micro blizzard, and I almost missed my connection in Boston, but it was totally worth it because the plane had cool aurora lighting effects and I saw Greenland from the plane (!!!!!!).

Even after writing all of this (and re-reading the notes I had jotted in my journal), I still don't feel like I can properly describe the way I feel about this trip and this place. It just spoke to me. I am literally spending all of my spare time these days looking at other people's Instagram photos and planning a return trip (hopefully!). There is so much more to see and do there -- I just need to get back ASAP!

Northern Lights! Northern Lights!

YOU GUYS. I went ALL the way to Iceland to see the Northern Lights (and I promise, I'll write about the trip soon), and then a week after I get back there is a freak auroral storm or something and they are predicting that people as far south as Oklahoma might be able to see them.  I was sick as a dog yesterday, but that was not stopping me from seeing it! I drove about an hour and half north of Minneapolis (had to get out of the city light pollution) and just as I was exiting the highway I got my first glimpse of green.  It was so cool!

I drove away from the highway and ended up parked on a dirt road next to a dairy farm -- those cows were mooing like you wouldn't believe!  And in the first 15 minutes I got a great show of green lights. My iPhone camera doesn't do it justice, but it was so cool!!

The most amazing place I've ever been... Iceland!

I'm not really sure I can even write a post about Iceland.

I completely fell in love with that little piece of land in the Northern Atlantic in just a few short days, and I just don't know what to say about it.  So.. for now, here are some pictures. I promise to write about it soon :)

Pre-Trip Planning

As I’m thinking about my upcoming Iceland trip, I’ve been thinking a lot about my pre-trip rituals.  Although I travel pretty frequently, I still get a little stressed out about my pre-trip ritual/planning every single time.  I mean, it shouldn’t be that hard – find passport, make a packing list, eat any perishable food, stop the mail. But I always feel like I’m forgetting something… does that happen to you?

Here are some tips/tricks I’ve been thinking about in the last few days while I get prepared to head to Iceland:

Pre-Trip Planning

• Even if you are a regular traveler, it’s a good idea to know exactly what you can & can’t take with you in your carry-on and checked luggage.  I recommend bookmarking the TSA website and checking before every trip, since the prohibited items list can change frequently and without notice.  Did you know you CAN take disposable razors & cartridges with you in your carry-on?  I learned that one a few years ago when I went to Ecuador for 10 days in a carry-on. I had a 24 hour layover in Miami and it would have been horrible to miss out on some pool/beach time because of hairy legs! (although any good hotel should have things like that readily available, usually for free).
• I like to print out any itineraries (including flights & tours) and other trip documents and put them all together in a plastic sleeve and in the outside pocket of my suitcase.  This way I can always find my hotel’s address to emphatically point to when the cabby & I don’t speak the same language.  If you feel so inclined, include the address of the local embassy & any addresses for postcards to send too.
• Now that I travel by myself more, I’ve also been sending my flight and hotel details (and usually a rough itinerary of daily activities) to a couple of friends and family members. You should always have someone out there who knows roughly where you are in the world!
• I make 2-3 copies of my passport – one to leave with a friend/family member, one to leave in my desk at work, and one to bring in my suitcase.  On recent trips, I’ve scanned my passport and emailed it to my web-based email (Gmail, etc.) so I can access it if needed while I’m abroad.
• I always make a point to check out currency exchange rates, but I rarely exchange any currency before I get to my destination – depending on your bank’s ATM fees, it is often cheaper to get cash that way than to get cash in advance or even use the currency exchange desk at the airport. 
• If you haven’t already, get a credit card that doesn’t charge you fees for international transactions. Those little fees add up!

Stop the mail

Did you know you you can stop your mail online?  No need to go to the post office! Head over to the USPS website and submit the Hold Mail form.  This is an important part of leaving town – unless you have a great neighbor to take in your newspapers & mail, you’ll want to stop these services so any burglars that are scoping out easy targets don’t pick your house.  To that point, you might want to put a light or two on a timer so it looks like someone is home during evening hours – especially on longer trips.

Packing

My upcoming trip is a little tricky in the packing area. Iceland in March requires a lot of winter gear (like my big down coat and my heavy, gigantic Sorel boots). I’d love to just carry-on since the trip is only 5 days, but I don’t exactly want to wear my boots on my flights, and I feel like my down coat would be so cumbersome to carry around on my 6 hour layover in Toronto. I guess I still have some pre-trip planning to do there!

I am always looking for packing tips (I never seem to pack the same way twice) – so please, send them my way!  I haven’t made my packing list yet for this trip, but I am looking forward to giving some of these tips a try.

Do you have any other pre-trip tips or rituals?  I probably am forgetting something (hopefully nothing too important – I always triple check for my camera and clean underwear!) – but as long as I have my credit card and my passport, I figure I can buy whatever else is needed. :)

Winter Escape: Mexico!

Y'all, I don't know about you, but once Christmas and New Years' are over I get some serious winter doldrums. Maybe it is that whole "no days off until Memorial Day" thing (or at least no paid holidays for that stretch for me!), but I need a little winter escape.

Enter: MEXICO

My BRF (also my BFF, but we used to be roommates so it's Best Roommates Forever) and I booked our first trip to Cancun way back when we were in our mid-twenties. When we were in our "Help me, I'm poor" phase of life. We found a crazy good deal for a long weekend at an all-inclusive for like $650 and thought we were living the LIFE. Seriously, when we pulled up to the hotel we totally thought it was a mistake and they had taken us to the wrong place because there was no way that $650 had gotten us flights and an all-inclusive hotel that looked that good. Turns out, it was just an amazing deal (you know, trying to rebuild tourism after a hurricane or something).

WELL, after that trip we pretty much decided that life (mainly, winter) was pretty horrible without a trip to Mexico in the middle of it. We took one year off, trying to prevent ourselves from developing a habit, but the next winter we gave in and booked it again. This time, with more friends!

Anywho, I just got back from another lovely long weekend at the GR Solaris. It was our 5th trip there, and it never disappoints! Now, it probably isn't the place for everyone -- but it suits us just fine. We go there to relax -- our days really just consist of laying by the pool, margaritas, laying on the beach, more margaritas, snacks, laying by the pool, tequila shots, then sitting in the hot tub before going for a nap. A lot of evenings we don't even make it downstairs for dinner, we just order some room service and watch a movie before going to bed early. Then we wake up and eat room service for breakfast and just stare at this view:

It is the ultimate lazy girls trip and I love every second of it. I know we probably won't continue to go to Cancun every winter for the rest of our lives, but I am so crazy grateful that we've gotten to go as many times as we have. And when I'm staring at the calendar next week, counting the days-hours-minutes to my next getaway, I will think back to this great view and this great friend!

Happy New Year!

Thanks, Kate Spade, for the New Year's Resolution inspiration! These are all so fun. I love the idea of making resolutions that make me a better person -- not something that tries to rectify something I think is wrong in my life. I've found throughout the years that resolutions like that often go to the wayside so quickly because they try to subtract something from your life (like dieting, or giving up chocolate, etc.). I love the idea of adding positive things to life!

So, this year, I'm resolving to say "yes" when the first instinct is to say no. I'm resolving to go out, see things, meet people, make memories. I'm resolving to see what happens when you open up to life.

I'm also making "once a month" goals: travel somewhere (even if it's to a friend's cabin), volunteer, and try out a new recipe. 

I've already knocked out my new recipe for the month of January - I made these delicious oatmeal pear pancakes this morning for my own little New Year's brunch. With a side of mimosas and Gopher football :)

Finally, I have one daily goal: exercise gratitude. I would like to recognize the wonderful things in my life, be it my friends and family, my beautiful loft, or the ability to travel. For all of the things that make my life mine, I am so grateful.