Last weekend we had the pleasure to travel to the south side of Iceland and Skaftafell National Park.
Three things have stayed in my mind: waterfalls and somersaults and bergy bits.
Of all these things, the one that stands out the most is somersaults. The third and final night at our hostel, myself and few others decided to go exploring around the hill that we were nestled into the side of. I ran out of the house and passed by my s
hoes – mostly with laziness, but also because it was finally getting warm out. First, we had to go on the dilapidated tire swing that looked like it hadn’t been used in a year or two. Then we explored the waterfall and little shack next to it. Once we were content there, we crawled under some trees and ran up the open hill of tall grass where we fell over to lay and gaze out at the view as the sun slowly disappeared in front of us. But, us, really just being 20 year old children, we decided that the next logical step was to somersault down the hill. This was one of the best things I did the entire trip. I can’t remember that last time I did a somersault before this. The whole time up on the hill, running around barefoot, I was really able to embrace my inner child and be carefree and happy for the evening. We may have also worried about losing a dog while running around, but that fluff ball eventually came back to pee next to us and reclaim its territory.
Now, we can’t just forget about waterfalls and bergy bits (which is one of my new favorite terms). Nature was so gracious to us that weekend. We went to some of the most amazing waterfalls I have ever been to in my life. One of the most amazing feelings was standing under and behind the waterfalls. I was almost immediately drenched in their mist. The glaciers and glacial lagoons were spectacular. This was my first time being close to fields of ice. When we went to the first overlook, the glacial lagoon (pictured above), was breath taking. It was so beautiful and unlike anything I had ever seen with my own eyes. During this trip I was able to be at the footstep of Iceland’s wonders, and able to bathe in their beauty. What more could I ask for?
Happy Trails,
Sara Beadle