Tag: snow

When most people think of Christmas break, they probably picture warm houses, family dinners, and maybe a little snow.

Not us!

We landed in Iceland and immediately thought:
holy shit it’s cold.

The wind hit us the second we walked outside the airport. Snow covered the lava fields around us, the sky was already dark despite it barely being afternoon, and it felt like we had landed on another planet.

And before we even checked into our hotel, we made our first stop at the Blue Lagoon.

Looking back, it was the perfect introduction to Iceland.

One minute we were freezing in the parking lot trying to change into swimsuits in near-arctic temperatures. The next, we were waist deep in steaming geothermal water with Icelandic beers in hand while snowbanks surrounded the lagoon.

Steam rolled across the surface as darkness settled in around us, and for the first time since landing we finally thawed out enough to look around and realize:
we were actually here.

Winter in Iceland was unlike anything we had ever experienced.

The sun barely showed itself, with daylight lasting roughly from 10am until around 2pm. One afternoon while walking through downtown Reykjavík, we somehow managed to witness both sunrise and sunset during the same walk. The entire city glowed blue, orange, and purple for a few brief hours before darkness took over again.

For Dylan, it was also the first time he had ever seen that much snow in his life.

As someone with northern family roots, I decided it was finally time to introduce him to one of winter’s oldest traditions:
the whitewash.

For those unfamiliar, a whitewash is essentially a handful of snow smashed directly into the face of an unsuspecting victim.

As a dad, it felt important to pass this cultural tradition down to the next generation.

Needless to say, Dylan did not appreciate the lesson nearly as much as I did.

Our original plan for the trip had been ambitious. We wanted to drive the famous Ring Road around the entire island during Christmas break, chase the northern lights, and see as much of Iceland as possible in winter.

Iceland had other plans.

A massive snowstorm rolled in and quickly started shutting that idea down. Roads became questionable. Excursions were canceled. Our northern lights tour became one of the casualties of the weather. Every day seemed to involve checking forecasts, recalculating plans, and figuring out what was still possible.

But oddly enough, that’s exactly what made this trip unforgettable.

Even with the storms, Iceland still felt unreal.

We hiked through ancient lava tubes deep beneath frozen lava fields that looked more like the moon than Earth. We stood near massive frozen waterfalls while icy mist blasted across our faces. Somewhere along the way, I had the best lamb soup of my life while staring out at snow-covered cliffs and waterfalls that barely looked real.

We crossed between the North American and European tectonic plates, visited several Game of Thrones filming locations, and made the best of the snowed-in days by building a snowman outside our hostel like a couple of kids.

We also learned a little about Icelandic Christmas traditions along the way, including stories about the Yule Lads and the country’s unique holiday traditions. Iceland somehow felt both harsh and incredible at the same time.

And then Christmas Eve happened.

Our northern lights tour had officially been canceled thanks to the storm, and with most places in Reykjavík closed for the holiday, we ended up wandering into the only place we could find still serving food: The
Lebowski Bar.

It ended up becoming one of my favorite travel memories of all time.

Inside, the place was packed wall-to-wall with people escaping the storm and celebrating Christmas together. Drinks were flowing, strangers were becoming friends, and a giant screen behind the bar played National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation on a continuous loop all night long.

At one point, a guy at the bar kept paying to spin a prize wheel until it landed on the space where the entire bar got free drinks. He hit it multiple times, and every single time the place exploded in cheers like we were all lifelong friends celebrating together.

Outside was snow, darkness, and brutal Icelandic winter weather.

Inside felt warm, loud, chaotic, and weirdly perfect.

We never did get our northern lights on that trip.

Honestly though, maybe that’s a good thing.

Because looking back now, the constant need to adapt became the entire story.

The weather forced us to slow down, change plans, and embrace whatever Iceland decided to throw at us next. And somewhere along the way, that became the reason I loved the trip so much.

Travel rarely goes perfectly. Flights get delayed. Weather changes everything. Plans fall apart.

But sometimes those unexpected moments end up becoming the memories you carry forever.

I think that’s something Anthony Bourdain always understood well. The best parts of travel usually aren’t the perfectly planned moments. They’re the random nights, the unexpected detours, the conversations with strangers, and the stories that could never have happened if everything went according to schedule.

I’d like to think this trip would’ve made him proud.