WOW! I cannot believe how much I has happened since last post. My apologies for anyone who actually likes to keep up with this. The summer flew by, and I had two trips packed into one on the way back to the states. Amsterdam and Iceland, and both were fabulous. I was relieved to get home and spend time with my family, meet my niece Annie, go on the water-slide (over and over) with my nephew Owen, and relax in beautiful Minnesota. I was able to take a trip out West to Portland for a conference with some ASD people, and before I knew it, the summer was closing and I was counting down my days until I arrived back in the sand pit. I'll try to give a little overview of Amsterdam and Iceland first, and then some summer pics.
Amsterdam! So awesome. I can totally see myself visiting this city on every trip back to the states. It helps that it is such a major flight hub. It was the perfect way to unwind from the school year and just enjoy the European city on foot and ride the ferries on the canals. I ended up visiting the Anne Frank House, which was completely moving and unbelievably emotional. The Van Gogh museum was also an experience, but not quite as shocking as the infamous Red Light District. The row houses were old and beautiful, and the canals were busy with boats of tourists, fishermen, and private houseboats. I loved every minute of this city, and know that next time I visit, I will have to rent a bicycle and pedal my way around as the locals do. Here are a few snapshots from Amsterdam.
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| Canals and Church bell towers! Love! |
From Amsterdam I flew to Iceland. The trip started in Reykjavik and went around the main road or "The Ring Road" around the whole island. Iceland was other-worldly in it's landscapes. It has stunning waterfalls, mountains, black sand beaches, active volcanos, natural hot springs, glaciers and iceberg filled lagoons. the villages are small, but the hospitality is charming. The weather is uncooperative, and the sun never sets in the summer months, but I will remember Iceland very fondly. I recommend going there to be in awe of Mother Nature and her power, especially before it is too late. Below are some pics and where they were taken. Enjoy!
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| Hot Springs- Blue Lagoon. Yes, it really is that color. I went in... it was HOT. |
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| Viking Beer deserves some horns! |
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| Viking man with my coffee- Thief! |
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| Lava Rocks |
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| Gulfoss - massive massive waterfall. |
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| Behind the Waterfall pictured below.... |
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| Taken around 3 am... it's light out. |
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| Iceberg lagoon at Jokulsarlon. |
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| Gulfoss adventurousness ! |
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| Iceberg lagoon |
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| Black sand beaches from lava flows over millions of years |
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| Cool village on Eastern coast of Iceland called Seydisfjordur |
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| Mars? Nope. Just crazy Iceland landscapes. This place reeked like sulfur. Nasty.... but cool. |
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| Exploring a lava tube in the lava fields of Myvatin |
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| Climbing up this GIANT lava crater. |
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| Natural hot springs at Myvatin |
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| Husavik- an awesome seaside village on the North coast of Iceland |
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| Going Whale watching in Husavik... so excited! |
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| Stunning |
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| We saw this whale breach probably 35 times. Just unbelievable. |
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| Godafoss- the waterfall of the gods. |
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| Of course I had to get a few swings in...! |
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| Reykjavik's famous church. |
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| The Sun Voyager- a seaside statue honoring the Viking's that settled Iceland. |
WOW! That was a ton- hopefully you liked some of the pictures. I know it was a bit much, but I actually took about 1000 pictures while there, so you definitely got the shorter version.
I wont go too much into my summer, but it was so wonderful to be at home and enjoy the Minnesota outdoors. I was on the lake, up at the cabin, in the cities, and seeing close friends and family. It is crazy how much can change in one year and how much can actually not change. Sitting down with some people felt as though I had not even been living abroad for the last few months.
I am excited for the year ahead. School has started well and it was my birthday. My advisory students went all out and decorated my classroom. They are amazing and it made my day. We have some exciting trips already planned for this year. In just a few days we have our Fall Eid break. The way it falls on our calendar lets us have a whole week off so some friends of mine and I are heading to Sri Lanka for a few days of fun! I will try to be better about posting now that I am back and traveling around. Until then.... cheers!
