the climactic step

My week to decompress and transition in Iceland has come to an end- and its time now for the climactic step; the step which will carry me over the final stretch of the Atlantic... to England. 

My year of study and ministry training in the UK, an ocean and a half away from my home in Maui, is about to begin at last. 

I have a sweet sense of being undergirded by grace and peace- thank you for your prayers during this exciting time of transition. 

snorkeling in Iceland, anyone?

So when you think of Iceland, snorkeling probably doesn't come to mind. But when my friend Sarah was planning our trip, she came across Dive Iceland- a company which takes divers through the glacial water filled chasm between the European and North American tectonic plates. This interested Sarah because she and her husband Kyle are certified divers. Long story shirt, they decided to (literally) take the plunge- and not wanting to leave me behind, they gifted me a snorkel expedition at the same location! So ...I snorkeled the Silfra Fissure for nearly an hour in 35ºF glacial water. The "dry suit" was definitely a new and challenging experience- i looked like Iron Man! And i felt like I was in Navy Seals training because it was very heavy and restrictive... and I had to plunge into ice cold water wearing all that apparatus! Needless to say, I survived- and it was beautiful! Altogether a remarkable, scenic, memorable experience! 

My diver friends:)

The water in Silfra is so clear you can see over 100 meters... and its so pure that they encourage you to remover your snorkel from time to time to have a drink of the water!

Me, as an underwater Iron Man doppelgänger 

 

Happy and cozy in my thermal jumpsuit (before the Iron Man layer).

Icelandic horses

With their renowned long manes & tails and their friendly disposition, I admit I found Icelandic horses utterly winsome. Ask my friends. After I approached a fence and met a sweet and dreamy little white horse, I was smitten. By this I mean I have been constantly pointing out the car windows cooing whenever we pass them...

The horses make me want to ride off into a sunset...or at least along these epic sweeping landscapes... I guess, at heart, that just makes me like just about every other little girl- sensing the innate romance of horses. 

Anyway, This horse was probably one of my highlights in Iceland. 

roadtrip: driving southern Iceland

Iceland is remarkably beautiful- even driving barren stretches makes you want to play an epic soundtrack of some kind...

Icelandic hotdogs are a thing. We may have eaten them twice in one day. 

Iceberg lagoon, anyone? Yep, a glacier calves icebergs into this lagoon and you can hike around it and ...freeze. Oh my goodness, SO cold. Thats me wearing three jackets. 

northern lights

So even though none of us slept much last night flying here, and we were all exhausted from driving around southern Iceland, all morning... we stayed up on a Northern lights vigil! Sarah had her camera ready, and on our third round of running outside in the 45F night chill... the vague diffusions of light we'd seen took shape and shifted- bright and glowing- across the sky. Definitely worth the wait.

Stopover: Iceland !

Goodbye, United States- Hello, Iceland? Yes, en route to England I coordinated with friends to make a stopover in Iceland where we will share a few refreshing days of outdoorsy-ness in the midst of my transition into a season of study! 

I've only been to Iceland once, for about twenty four hours- so these few days open up tremendous new opportunities for exploring. Just the first half of our first day has blown me away as we stopped at the Seljalandsfoss waterfall alone the southern coast... 

Iceland is remarkably scenic and absolutely beautiful. And we're just getting started! Now we are settled into a guest house across a meadow from another stunning waterfall. To say nothing of the crags, sheep, windswept lava fields, Icelandic horses, seascapes ... and everything else we saw as we drove along. Looking forward to seeing Iceland unfold God's glory over these next few days as I enjoy the beauty of His handiwork and the fellowship of my friends.

a day away

With my departure now just a day away, a radical change of scenery is imminent. I am embracing it wholeheartedly... my trench coat is ready! Knowing such a total transformation of environment is upon me, I have been soaking up the sun and treasuring the beauty of my home here on the North shore all the more !

My transition time is somewhat extended as I travel for the next couple weeks through Arizona, South Dakota, and even meet friends on a layover Iceland. But the next phase of the journey- departure and transition- is now beginning!