This past March I finally hopped on a plane and flew to the beautiful land of Iceland. After a year of planning, saving, and prepping my friend and I went on our first international trip. The land was unlike any I've seen before, unique in its beauty and charm. Through our first trip, we got a grasp of how to travel, from the planning to the execution. It was a life-changing time, a great first trip, and a learning experience I will cherish for the rest of my life. Some particular ideas and thoughts would not have been learned without such a trip.
1. Meticulous planning doesn't stop bumps in the road.
Abbey Collins
I'm a planner. My entire life has to be meticulously planned out, whether it's my general week or for a specific class. Therefore, when we decided on the location I got to planning. I had an itinerary set up, with times, dates, and sites to learn more about the locations. Even with all that extra planning, the trip still had bumps in the road where things did not go fully to plan. I had to learn that was okay and to just enjoy what I was given instead.
2. Sometimes it's such a shock that you don't realize the beauty until later.
Abbey Collins
From the second we landed until the time we left my body and mind was in overload. The sights were phenomenal, the views spectacular, and my senses were overpowered the whole time there. I appreciated the incredible land we saw, but it wasn't until I got back to PA that I just realized how beautiful it all was. It seemed to hit me then what I just experienced and just how fantastic it was.
3. You learn to soak in the moments.
Abbey Collins
Many times throughout the trip I was planning our next move, or checking the time to realize we were on schedule. I had to keep myself in check and remind myself to just soak in that individual moment and stop focusing on what's next. It took a bit for my mind to get used to, but by the end, I was soaking in every little moment I could.
4. The importance of stepping out of your comfort zone.
Madi Fuertsch
Last minute before our trip we decided to switch up one of the tours we were going on for instead a snorkeling tour through the Silfra Fissure. It was amazing, as we could see down in between the North American and the Eurasian tectonic plates. The water was super clear and clean a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was 100% out of our comfort zone, as the water was around 33 degrees Fahrenheit and the water was very, very deep. In the end, though it was well worth it.
5. You learn to appreciate certain people more.
Madi Fuertsch
While I have known Abbey since the 2nd grade and stayed friends throughout, nothing prepared us for the amount of time we spent together here. It helped me appreciate my friend all the more, as we talked more and deeper than any other time throughout our friendship. We had each other's back and cherished this wonderful trip we had together. Being the only other person with me among miles of strangers really helped me a appreciate the great friend I have.
