I have been very blessed in this life. I really have everything I have ever wanted and not a lot of people can say that. I have found my soulmate and love of my life. I have the greatest job, ever! Working at Hawaii Blue is fun for me every single day. I live a life of privilege and I know that. I do try to give back often. I don’t try to gloat. But, thanks to my better half, I no longer have a care in the world. I do live a very #luxelife…

I have had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places. Iceland was our winter trip last year. I had heard wonderful things about Iceland and I was hoping to see the Northern Lights.

We arrived at 5am Icelandic time and our host was there to meet us at the airport. We stayed at a quaint little house by the sea 1×6 Guesthouse. We were exhausted from a long flight but they had prepared what was the best breakfast I had ever had. Homemade bread and jams, fresh eggs, profoundly good coffee, breakfast meats, everything you could ever want. Our host was friendly and knowledgable about everything Iceland! He quickly gave us a run down on what we needed to do and see. Then we went to bed, it had been a long night.

I awoke first and rather than try to tiptoe around our room, I put on my swimsuit then ran out to the hot spring that they had in their backyard. It was a cold jaunt to the hot tub but once there, I was immersed in the most heavenly hot water spring. Surrounded by black lava rock, the hot tub was perfect. I soaked for a long time, allowing my mind and body to relax. Overhead I could see the stars twinkling in the night sky. (Iceland in December is a cold, dark place with only 4 hours of daylight). I was dreading my walk back to the house. I don’t like to be cold. After a shower, we saw or hosts again. We asked about sight seeing and he suggested we rent a car. He even knew someone who could rent one to us at a reasonable rate (everything in Iceland is expensive. It’s like Hawaii, you just gotta know going into it that it’s not cheap, but it’s totally worth it.) His friend picked us up and drove us to our rental car. Not a 2 hour event like in the US, we were in and out quickly, hitting the road headed on an adventure.

We were told that we had to see this waterfall. We pushed the name into our GPS and we were off. There is no shoulder in Iceland on most back roads. I found that a little unsettling. The landscape is barren and beautiful with its’ stark contrasts. The black lava was dotted with fluffy white snow. The sky was never fully bright but a kind of twilight that made everything seem ethereal and magical. It was a long drive. We stopped at a hot spring to watch a geyser then finally made it to the Gullfoss Falls. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen. The winter landscape made the waterfall seem almost calm as the water broke free from the shackles of the ice that tried to hold it back. Mother Nature always finds a way…we stayed at the falls as long as we could, it was a long drive back and I didn’t want to drive in the dark.

We ate at some AMAZING restaurants in Iceland. I had grilled langoustine that was so good, it melted in your mouth. The slight char from the grill gave it a smoky flavor but the langoustine was sweet, heavenly. The food in Iceland is delicious. My other half even indulged in puffin, much to my chagrin.

We had tried for a couple nights to see the Northern Lights, but conditions have to be just right to see them. There are tours that take you out to the lava fields at night away from the city lights to increase your chance of a viewing.

We spent our last night at the Blue Lagoon Hotel. This is a must see for anyone traveling to Iceland. The hot springs are a milky, dusty blue. The smell of sulfur is in the cold, winter air but it wasn’t bad. The hotel is a modern, minimalist dwelling well known for it’s healing clay hot springs. Fluffy robes and slippers are given to each guest to wear while at the Blue Lagoon. We went to the hot springs at night. The steam coming up from the springs thickens the night air, making it look like another planet. We floated together in blissful release, the hot spring taking away every stress and worry we had arrived with. It was a perfect evening. Perfect, like my soulmate. He isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but he is perfect for me. And I am perfect for him. I love him deeply and with an intensity that grows the longer we’re together.

Our trip to Iceland strengthened our bond. We always come home more in tune with each other and with a greater appreciation of our lives together.

Iceland is an incredible place. The island is so big, we will have to go back several times to see everything. And of course, the Northern Lights is on the top of that list! I’m already ready to go back. I was ready to go back before we had left. It’s just that perfect.