The first time I ever heard about Iceland was when the news
covered the Reykjavik Summit between President Reagan and Russian leader Gorbachev
in 1986. The Cold War had cast a
negative shadow on my childhood, so when this meeting happened, I knew it was a
positive thing. Being only 13 years old, I had no idea of politics, but I did
understand the importance of this meeting. I had also learned that Iceland had
a female president, so that also gave me a good impression of this tiny unknown
island in the middle of the Atlantic.
Then I heard Bjork sing on the radio for the first time in 1988, and I
really wanted to understand Iceland.
Since then, I have read all I can about the people, the
culture, the nature, the geology! I even adopted a pure bred Icelandic Sheepdog. I fell in love with this young land…So I decided that I needed to
go there when I could save up the cash. It would be a far better vacation than visiting
a tropical island. As I began to figure out how I could make it a reality, I had
vivid dreams of setting foot on the land, walking in downtown Reykjavik,
idolizing those Northern Lights. Summer was definitely not the time I wanted to
go, partly because of the tourist season, but mostly because I hoped to
experience the Aurora Borealis, which occurs during the colder months.
The next question was, who to go with? My husband had no
interest in going, but I wanted to experience my dream with someone I love. My
19 year old daughter volunteered as my companion, and she got excited about
coming with me. Tentative plans started to happen-a date, approximately how
much money we would need, how long, etc. And then one Sunday evening, after a
hefty glass of wine, I bought those airline tickets, and found a place to stay!
Wow, I had really hoped my boss would approve the vacation, even if I did book it ten months in advance.
So now what to do for the next several months? As an
experienced knitter, I am making my daughter and I a few Icelandic sweaters
(they sell for hundreds!) to keep us warm. I anticipate snow on the ground, the
wind blowing hard, and permanent grins on our faces, so we must stay warm and
looking good. This blog is dedicated to my dream, and how I share it with my
firstborn.
