Hello Fellow Adventurers,

I write this to you as I'm still currently in Iceland, attempting to soak up as much of this country as I can before we leave. A country that is as cold (if not colder) as my home state of Massachusetts, I decided a spring break of new adventures would be more worth my money than one where college kids are seen day drinking on a beach.

Am I disagreeing with drinking in bathing suits in the warmth I also crave? Of course not. But I am agreeing to disagree on what a spring break should consist of; it should be something that allows one to travel and view a new culture. I'm lucky to have a group of friends that agree that a trip with a self-made itinerary is too good to pass up.

Where does one go that seems affordable for our poor college student wallets? Why not Iceland? A direct plane ride is just under 5 hours, with a round-trip price at just over $300. I can swing it.

AirBnB has quickly become our hotel of choice and through guide-book searching and googling, a plan was made, updated, added, and rearranged to somehow see as much of Iceland as we could see in 7 days. (All the good stuff for sure.)

When I finally open my laptop that has taken a much needed 10-day break, I will sit down and write what it is that I learned exactly. But what I can tell you now, is this:

Choose the things that you want to do. Going to the same state every year (or perhaps not doing anything at all) limits you. Even on a very tight budget, we were able to plan and somehow afford a trip to a new country. There's no doubt in my mind that we've spent less than those who were found buying unimaginable amounts of alcohol on a beach, but regardless of the price tag, it allowed the travel bug to bite me full-on and completely.

There's something empowering about traveling as a young person in our world and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon.

Until next week (when I have a laptop),

Sophia