Endless swaying fjords that reveal cascading waterfalls, a front row seat to an incredible light-show–the aurora borealis– one of Earth’s safest countries, and no annoying mosquitoes. Iceland is a true slice of Scandinavian paradise. Nonetheless, for those who haven't visited this beautiful country, the name “Iceland” conjures up the image of a boring, desolate, icy landscape–all thanks to the Vikings.

Iceland.

Having visited the island with family in 2015, it became clear to me that the name “Iceland” is a huge misnomer and that the nation is indeed a marvelous destination. I find it unfortunate that people have a preconceived notion that it is not. Hence, for me it seemed an obligation to reject the Norse myth that still surrounds the Scandinavian haven and share my knowledge of this gorgeous, interesting land with the public.

My experience in a nutshell:

As I exited the Keflavik International Airport, I was greeted by a refreshing smell of the ocean, which permeated the atmosphere. In fact, the oxygen was so fresh that it came as no surprise to me that Iceland has one of the world’s highest life-expectancy rates–an average of 83 years.

Straightaway, we set off towards the capital of Reykjavík, Iceland’s largest city with a population of over 120,000 (Iceland’s total population is just over 300,000). As it was not quite time to check into our hotel, we decided to explore the capital. What surprised me most about Reykjavík was how at home I felt there­–literally. I witnessed multiple people exit their small, adorable homes in pajamas, leaving their doors wide open for anyone to enter. As I walked on, I passed a grocery store where I saw two strollers with snoozing babies outside. After reading that Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world, the open doors and unsupervised babies made more sense to me.

While exploring Reykjavík, we soon grew hungry and dropped by KFC for lunch. I was shocked by the genuine politeness of the employees (politeness was a pattern I noticed everywhere we went--even random people on the street smiled at us), who inquired as to how we were doing and what we thought of Iceland so far. They even gave us advice as to what we should do and see.

We took the advice of the kind KFC employees and participated in the Golden Circle tour over the next couple of days. During the tour, we explored the island’s incredible nature, visiting the enchanted Thingvellir National Park, viewing the magnificent flowing beauty of the Gullfoss Waterfall and bearing witness to Iceland’s second largest glacier, the Langjokull (The Golden Circle tour gave us just a glimpse of the various natural spectacles and landmarks that we saw).

Our journey in Iceland concluded at our much-anticipated visit to one of Earth’s 25 wonders, Reykjavík’s Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. The electric blue water that runs 90-100˚F is dense with minerals that heal the skin and is the perfect place to unwind. While relaxing in the water, I enjoyed a smoothie made from Skyr, Icelandic yogurt that is low in fat, high in protein and incredibly delicious. Though not the cheapest spa around, the incredibly rejuvenating Blue Lagoon was the perfect place to conclude our vacation.

As you can imagine, in this short summary I was not able to address everything about Iceland–its culture, government, etc. However, my intention is not to cram your brain with everything Iceland. But I hope that this brief snapshot of my experience will help you take away this message: Iceland is not just some desolate wasteland. Rather, it is a beautiful island in the Atlantic with so much to see and do. Icelandic people are polite and create a homey and safe atmosphere in which one can live and explore. Happy travels!