and welcome to my blog! I'm an American living in Iceland with a desire to see the world. Here is where I document my life, travels, recipes, thoughts and ideas.
I was in need of rest, rest from my mind and rest from the lies that somehow creeped back into my mind after years of being free. How do you recover when your mind relapses? I was a mess and I was broken. Life in Nashville was difficult for me. Returning to the states is never easy and reverse culture shock hits you hard. I'm still dealing with it and processing situations that happened a year ago. It sucks, and to be in Iceland of all places is even more crazy.
Icelandic winters are one of a kind. This will be my fourth winter season spent in Iceland and let me tell you, it is not easy. The sun doesn't rise till around 11:00 which makes waking up every morning near impossible and leaving you exhausted for the rest of the day. After downing at least 6 cups of coffee, you leave for work. Work is from 9-17:00. You leave your house in darkness and sit inside your cubicle, office room, retail store, whatever it may be and watch as the sun fades right before you eyes. Working in winter can be very challenging due to the lack of light. You are constantly in darkness.
So, I've decided to continue my honeymoon blog by doing something a little different. I will do less stories and will do more facts, lists, must sees, and talk about the culture itself. I also want to keep this blog more simple and not as long as the last one.
Coffee is one of our favorite parts about traveling. We love discovering those cozy, cute, delicious, third wave coffee houses. After a lot of research, we managed to find a little cafe in Milano. Mainly serving food and quick espresso to the Italian locals, there was a small coffee bar inside the shop with a list of beans and pour overs.
When we travel, we try to research everything as best as we can especially when it comes to bus prices, car prices, food prices, basically anything that involves money and budgeting; we try to research. However, the Italian culture has slowly reminded us that there are some trips you cannot budget for or plan for no matter how much you plan or research.
I'm more of a spontaneous person myself, however, I really enjoy researching local food spots and coffee shops that are low prices and full of locals. I did my best to research as we explored many parts of Italy. Than after the final preparations, we had our itinerary which is something we never have, but since it's our honeymoon I guess we should try to keep it more organized right?
I don't know about you, but I have a deep deep deep love for Halloumi cheese. The taste is just so subtle yet has so much flavor at the same time. Living in Reykjavik, my husband and I have to cook a lot in order to save money, but we learned how fun cooking can actually be and it doesn't have to be so time consuming.
I found this recipe originally through an old vegetarian cook book that I took on and made my own.
Serves 4
Prep Time: 15 mins + Overnight for best flavours
Cook Time: 20 mins
In February, I lost my visa and Icelandic residence permit. I had to be out of the European Schengen area and couldn't return for 90 days. I tried everything in my power to renew my visa, I so desperately wanted to stay in Iceland but did not have the recourses to do so. On the 3rd of February, I packed up, put half of my belongings in storage and got on a plane to England.
We all dream of it. We all crave it.
In one way or another, each and every single one of us crave some form of travel. It could be a mini weekend vacation to Florida, or a 3 month long trek through South America. Whatever it is, we all desire travel.
I'm no travel agent. I'm not an expert on travel and can't provide you with all the information you would probably like, but I do know how to travel on a budget while still having an amazing travel experience. In the past two years, I have travelled to about 10 countries and have lived abroad. During that time, I was working for a non-profit and didn't have much money. My organization required/recommended some international conferences for me to attend. With out much money and a few leaps of faith I started researching and learning about the options I had in regards to cheap travel. You see, travel doesn't have to be this big posh idea but instead can be a reasonable, affordable, and life changing reality!
A poem for the refugee.
A dream.
A whisper.
A feeble prayer.
I lay on my back and let the waves overtake me. Lying on a beach somewhere across the sea. Floating. I am at peace. Where is the sailboat to take me? To guide me home?
The tourist boom in Iceland has been amazing in terms of the economy, but just like any tourist boom theres a big downside as well. The housing market has increased and prices are now almost triple in the capital area compared to a few years ago. Finding a decent sized flat is almost impossible and everything is snatched up within days. I've been struggling for 9 months now in finding proper accommodation.
Last June, I was homeless. I had a new place lined up but it wasn't available till the end of June. What do you do in this kind of situation?
Easy. You travel.
