“Foss” in Icelandic is “waterfall” in English, so there are many long names with “foss” at the end in this country!
Seljalandsfoss and Svartifoss were two of the last sites seen on our South Coast tour. It was breezy, hailing and damp, but well worth it 🙂
That’s a wrap for my Iceland posts! Thank you for reading and following my story. Now I need to start writing about Peru… 😉
My mom and I returned from Peru yesterday evening! I really need to wrap up my Iceland posts to start my Peru ones…
After Bethany and I left the glacier, we were able to visit a black sand beach! It was great because the sun was out (at first) and the landscape reminded me of Ireland all over again!
As you can see, the sun doesn’t stay out for long in Iceland…
The sand was so pure and dark, that my boots blend in here!^
My Michigan roots have always led me to water, and I’m happy to have seen this side of Iceland!
I can’t pronounce, let alone SPELL, the name of this glacier. What I CAN tell you is that this glacier is a must-see on Iceland’s southern coast!
The walk to get here from the parking lot wasn’t short; however, with views like these, I would’ve walked an extra mile!
I had Iceland layovers in 2014 AND 2016, so I had to make 2018 count 🙂 Going outside of the city is something I should’ve done four years ago…
Being so close to the water made me want to swim in it (or at least go kayaking)!
The walk back consisted of hail, rain, snow, and sunshine all in one! But with the sunshine came a lot of green.
Note: I chose not to lighten any of these photos because I want you to see the glacier (almost) as I did!
Reykjavik is truly a melting pot, mainly due to increased tourism over the years! Even though the city had more authenticity when I first visited in 2014, this May was the first time I truly experienced all Reykjavik had to offer…
The “pops of color” and street art took over its downtown area, which is something I always feel the need to photograph!
Reykjavik is unique in many ways, one being that you feel like you’re in Norway, Ireland, and the early 2000s (at times) all in one!
Oh, and the gluten-free dessert AND savory crepes were beyond amazing!!!
No matter where you turned, you saw something special; you definitely weren’t in the States anymore!
My message to you: always go off the beaten path!
Here’s some mediocre photos from my weekend getaway, in a not-so-mediocre city!
Hello, long time no blogging! Yet again, I have been MIA for quite some time; however, I’m back and ready to focus on blogging again!
When we travel for an extensive amount of time, it’s always nice to have something from home. Some bring a photograph, others a keepsake…but for me, it’s always my teddy bear, Pierre!
Pierre is a 3-year-old Build-a-Bear who my boyfriend and I made for Christmas in 2015. He is very loved, privileged, and fortunate to have seen all these incredible places! I hope you enjoy his journey as much as he does (and as much as I do)! 🙂
Pierre loves to go boating on Michigan’s many lakes!
He and his wife, Claire, have even ventured to Chicago with me!
Pierre and his best friend, Chestnut, were my travel buddies in Sweden for my semester abroad.
Pierre has even been to castles, something that many humans haven’t even experienced!
He loved riding through Kalmar, SE with me!
Praha (Prague) was one place where Pierre could meet some cool cats 🙂
…but he enjoyed being in my dorm with Chestnut, Coconut, Barry, and Sandy!
Pierre was able to meet one of my best friends from Hamburg, Germany too! She gave us a care package when we arrived!
I bought this bag in Copenhagen, especially for Pierre! He needed it for our weekend in London together 🙂
DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!
We enjoyed sunny days on the dock near the Kalmar castle 🙂
Pierre and I probably loved our time in Norway the most! 🙂 It made him feel at home with all the boating we did in those two weeks…
We love quality time with Juan! Pierre loves Lake Michigan 🙂
Pierre was also my buddy on my train from Denver to Grand Junction to visit a friend from study abroad!
More traveling is in Pierre’s future, and mine as well 🙂
Yesterday I had to drive a total of four hours for a one hour meeting…
Let’s just say that I chose to make the most of it! I walked around downtown Grand Rapids for about an hour, listened to the cars drive by and construction on nearby buildings. Taking in the city air to me is how others feel about country air: peaceful.
2017 was a great year, but cheers to 2018 and more adventures to come!
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🙂
Back in May before I returned home from Thailand, I visited a friend who lives in Macau. Gloria and I met in 2016 while studying in Sweden – although we talked about visiting one another, I never thought I would be in such a unique place!
Macau is like a mixture of China (or at least what I would assume China is like…) and Europe. This is due to Portuguese colonization and influence on this island near Hong Kong.
What a great week I had! It’s evident from the photos below:
I seriously need to post more!! But it’s better late than never I guess!
Last Thursday – yesterday, I traveled from Detroit, MI to San Jose, CA. I visited two friends who I met while volunteering abroad, and another friend who I met in Sweden last year through study abroad.
To start, my friend Kaila picked me up from the airport with her roommate, Anthony. We got drinks for happy hour on the water, and I ran into the freezing Pacific Ocean (I only had one drink mind you)!
Visiting San Francisco and exploring by myself on Friday afternoon was full of fun, hipster vibes, and amazing Mexican food!
The following day Kaila drove us to Felton, where we hiked in a redwood park, met some hippies, and snuck into a music festival with them! It was an interesting day to say the very least…
I was able to grab dinner with another friend who I met in Thailand, Wendy. We reminisced about our time abroad with some Thai cuisine in Mountain View.
Lastly, I spent the day with my friend who just moved to SF, Ali. She’s originally from Montana, so we had fun wine tasting in Napa for the first time!
I had a wonderful time with friends in Cali, and I can’t wait to go back someday!
As I grow older, my friend circle dwindles down and becomes more tight-knit. This may sound like a bad thing, and at first I thought it was, but I get it now.
I am blessed to have great, close friends in my life who I would do anything for and vice versa.
One of those friends is someone who I met in Sweden. Bethany and I visited each other in Chicago two months ago – I will always cherish our weekend together, full of exchanging study abroad memories, sore feet from walking everywhere, and acknowledging newfound inside jokes!
It was also special because I have been to Chicago several times (many of my favorite childhood memories are from Chi-town) and Bethany had never been there prior to this summer. I was able to show her my favorite places, as well as experience new bars and clubs together!
Bethany, I’m not sure if you’ll see this anytime soon, but thanks for being a gem of a friend! I’m beyond thankful to have met you in Sweden!
Cheers to more adventures together!
Traveling with the Traceys 