Paul and I recently had the exciting opportunity to visit Iceland and England. It’s always good to step away from the routine of every day life to catch a breath of fresh air. It’s even better to enjoy that fresh air in two such beautiful countries!

This photo was taken from our rental car window on the drive between Keflavik and Reykjavik, Iceland. Can you say wow?! We were exhausted when we arrived in Iceland at 6:20 AM and had a whirlwind of a 36 hour visit before heading on to the UK.  I wouldn’t trade those crazy 36 hours though. Iceland was the first place I ever lived so I was really looking forward to seeing the apartment my parents brought my little newborn self home to. I did get to see that place and it was special indeed. My parents said when they brought me to the U.S. for the first time I was afraid to be barefoot in grass. I still don’t like to be barefoot. I’d like to think Iceland had something to do with that. I’m probably just reaching for a connection, but who wouldn’t want to be connected to such a truly awe-inspiring place?

Here is Geysir the geyser. We were rushing to get to the geysers before sunset. We had to decide whether to choose between seeing them, seeing Gullfoss, which you can see in an earlier post, or trying to see both before the sun went down. As you can see, we made it to both! What’s striking about Iceland is how unadulterated the land is. Everywhere you look is a breath taking landscape. The best way to describe it might be other worldly. It’s at least very different from my usual world, full of noise and distraction. That is why it is very hard to compare with the below photo.

England was amazing as well, just for different reasons! I’ve always had a love for British literature. Through the eyes of many fictional characters I had imagined England, and so was looking forward to having an actual experience to couple with those imaginings. When we first got married Paul and I decided the first big trip we would take would be to London. I love that we had this trip together! Of course we visited tourist attractions with my favorite being the Tower of London. So much history in one place is bound to make me happy! Other favorite things were tea time at The Wolseley and a trip to the theatre to see Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit.

We also very much enjoyed renting a car for a day (yes, yes it was scary to try driving on the other side of the road for the first time) for a trip to Oxford and the Cotswolds. Isn’t that older couple walking in Oxford the sweetest thing? We pretty much loved everything we saw and did, so it’s hard to list it all out here. Everyone we encountered was extremely polite and kind. This trip, all in all, was a much needed reminder to slow down and notice the people and sites around me. This world is crazy and fast and it’s up to us to find the beauty and peace in it.