Now that 2020 is upon us, it's a good time to look back at 2019. It was a good year, overall, with a few rough spots that left me extremely stressed out until events were resolved. I didn't change jobs or move or anything, but I made some new friends, traveled a bit, and adopted … Continue reading 2019 Year in Review
Iceland
Iceland, Day 7: Seljalandsfoss
On my last full day in Iceland, I woke up early to gather my things, load up the car, and head west for the six and a half-hour drive back to Reykjavik. Given that I'm from the Great Plains where everything is far away from everything else, the length of the drive didn't bother me. … Continue reading Iceland, Day 7: Seljalandsfoss
Iceland, Days 5 & 6: Jökulsárlón, Höfn, and Stokksnes
On Sunday morning during my trip to Iceland, I said good-bye to Reynisfjara and Vik and headed east again. That day the skies were much clearer-- no wind, no fog, and just a little rain. Because of this, I could actually see the landscape around me: the ocean to the south and the highlands with … Continue reading Iceland, Days 5 & 6: Jökulsárlón, Höfn, and Stokksnes
Iceland, Day 4: Hundafoss, Svartifoss, Vatnajökull National Park, and Reynisfjara
On Saturday morning, I headed east through rain and fog so thick the hills and mountains disappeared. They only reappeared when I was a few miles away, and then they were only dark shapes. Shortly after passing through Vik, I passed into the lava fields below one of Iceland's largest volcanoes, Katla. This expanse is … Continue reading Iceland, Day 4: Hundafoss, Svartifoss, Vatnajökull National Park, and Reynisfjara
Iceland, Day 3: Skógafoss, the Fimmvörðuháls trail, Dyrhólaey, and Reynisfjara
On Friday morning, I left Reykjavik and drove east toward the little town of Vik on Iceland's southern coast. But first, I made a stop at Skógafoss. This is one of Iceland's most popular waterfalls. It has a single drop of 197' (60m) and is 82' (25 meters wide). On sunny days, you can see … Continue reading Iceland, Day 3: Skógafoss, the Fimmvörðuháls trail, Dyrhólaey, and Reynisfjara
Iceland, Days 1 & 2: Reykjavík and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
I arrived in Reykjavik at about 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday morning. I couldn't check in to the guesthouse until after 2:00, but I could drop my suitcase off there so I did and headed over to Laugavegur to Mál og Menning, my favorite bookstore in Reykjavik. There, I went to the cafe upstairs and bought … Continue reading Iceland, Days 1 & 2: Reykjavík and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula
Sunday Sum Up- September 22, 2019
Well, I'm back. I made it to Iceland and back again, safely, and with very little jet lag, the five hour time difference notwithstanding. Iceland was amazing (as expected), and I had an even better time than my first trip there. It helps that I was completely healthy and not dealing with a nagging ankle … Continue reading Sunday Sum Up- September 22, 2019
Postcard from Iceland
“When anxious, uneasy and bad thoughts come, I go to the sea, and the sea drowns them out with its great wide sounds, cleanses me with its noise, and imposes a rhythm upon everything in me that is bewildered and confused." -Rainer Maria Rilke
Sunday Sum-Up- September 8, 2019
Want a good way to confuse your smartphone? Live 1,000 or more miles from the nearest ocean or sea and download an app that tells you when tides will be high or low. Watch it try to find the nearest beaches and give you locations in both Massachusetts and Texas. Tidal schedules will be more … Continue reading Sunday Sum-Up- September 8, 2019
Sunday Sum Up, 02/24/2019
So we had a blizzard yesterday. One of those slow-clotted storms with high winds that fling ice at your face at high speed if you make the mistake of wandering outside. I'm not sure yet how much snow we ended up getting. It might not have been more than six inches, but with 45mph … Continue reading Sunday Sum Up, 02/24/2019
Traveling in Books 