Plans that Change

I’ve spent the last week deciding if I should book my long desired trip to Iceland. A great seat sale meant it would only cost me $490 to fly roundtrip and that alone was almost enough.

Instagram @chrisburkard

I want to go so badly, but I’m torn between if I want to go in winter or summer because they each have something totally different and unique to offer. There is plenty that can only be done in Iceland during specific months, and even in those months can quickly be cancelled due to weather.

My only time that I felt I could really go this year was mid-October or sometime in November. Both of these are technically winter months in Iceland and I had limited options for local transportation, tours, etc. That aside, there is also the daylight hours to consider. In my available travel times I could only expect about 4-6 total hours of daylight each day, further limiting my options.

Instagram @chrisburkard

Don’t get me wrong, Icelandic winter looks absolutely beautiful and I would love to experience it, I just need more time to figure out the logistics.

I was first considering an organized tour which would cover sleeping, transportation and seeing all the areas that I really want to see. As convenient and lovely as that sounded, I can’t justify spending $2000 for a 5 day tour.

Instagram @roaminglovers

Consideration number 2 was renting a car. I could live with spending $500 for 6 days considering the freedom, convenience and adventure that it would offer me, but that $500 doesn’t include gas, insurance or the “young driver fee” that I would need to pay for being under 25 years old. I also am not 100% comfortable with the idea of driving on foreign roads in winter with little light to guide the way. I’ve read articles that say you absolutely MUST have 4x4 and the biggest, sturdiest vehicle the rental place has and still other places claim that even someone with little to no winter driving experience would been fine driving here, no 4x4 necessary. I would hate to assume I’ll be fine and end up getting stuck somewhere. On a side note, most rentals on offer are manual and I don’t know how to drive manual..

Lastly, and most ideally, I looked into public transit hoping that I could see the island country that way since it offers a reasonable amount of freedom and generally comes with a much lower price tag. I did find some buses that go to the places I want to see, but I would be waiting 8+ hours for the next bus to come and pick me up. Beyond that I was able to find a company that offers “bus passports” that allow the holder to travel as much as they want within 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11 days in the region that the pass is valid. Finally, that seemed like the perfect option. Freedom, great price, convenience and a driver that treats you like you’re on a tour, telling you all about the places you are going. I would have booked everything right then and there until I realized the passport is only available between May and September.

Instagram @muenchmax

In the end none of the available options seemed ideal for my time of year. I have to admit, I considered booking the flights anyway and figuring everything else out on arrival.

But as I lay in bed struggling with the decision and only having 1.5 hours left to decide before the seat sale expired, it finally hit me. Even though I want to go so badly and even though the price is almost too painful to pass up, despite the fact that it was one of my goals to take another solo trip this year, I really want to experience and share this trip with someone else. I want to experience the beauty of this magical place with someone by my side, even if it means I continue waiting.

My silver lining? I’m hoping that now I can get my scuba diving certification before I go and that I’ll be able to dive the Silfra Fissure. And yes, Edmonton does have diving schools. If anyone is interested in getting certified with me, I would love the company!




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