The brand new airbus 350 was slicing through the skies on its way to Helsinki, Finland. This was a major upgrade from the tiny plane I had used to get to my first layover in JFK. I did my best to try and sleep on this flight, because I had a ten hour layover ahead of me and I was going to try to get as much out of it as possible. The plane descended through some thick grey clouds as it approached the runway and I got to watch it happen in real time through a camera that was setup on the tail and fed through the in-flight entertainment system. This was apparently a new Finnair feature and so very cool. I disembarked and carried my one and only small backpack with me. I would ... read more

I awoke and met up with a Polish traveler named Karolina that I had met the previous day in the hostel. She and two other companions, Adam and Magda, were planning on renting a vehicle and setting off to explore more of the country and I was definitely in! We discovered that Riley had gotten stuck in some sand with his rental car the night before and needed assistance to get free. He only returned at four AM but he was also in for the journey. I didn't know the rest of them very well yet, but they seemed decent enough, and in any case this is one of the main reasons to travel since you never know what kind of people you'll meet. We rented another Toyota, but this time a station wagon so we ... read more

I'd been dreaming of visiting Iceland for a few years now. Not sure exactly why, but maybe it has to do with the remoteness, or the vast scenic beauty, but as the plane came in for the landing at Keflavik airport in the southwest tip of the country, I was ecstatic. I was hoping I was saving the best for last on my brief one month backpacking trip, and soon enough I would know. The plane had flown over most of the country since I was coming in from the east and I already had a chance to see some incredible views during several breaks in the clouds as the place was making its descent. I caught the shuttle towards the capital of Reykjavik, about 40 minutes away. Reykjavik is a small city by most standards, ... read more

I grabbed a train towards Monchengladback. From there I said goodbye to Germany and took another train to Venlo as I entered the Netherlands again. I continued on to Eindhoven and then yet another train all the way to Amsterdam. I had a one night stay slightly outside the city at another hostel. I was so stoked to have arrived and wanted to explore this city as soon as possible. The central station was beautiful as it was massive, and was directly in front of De Wallen, the oldest neighborhood in the entire city and contained most of the famed Red Light district. I strolled through the streets with a smile plastered on my face. I'd never quite experienced a vibe such as this. Restaurants and coffee shops were strewn throughout the narrow and windy roads, ... read more

A long day of travel lay ahead. I bid farewell to Brussels as I walked the final steps to the train station. I made sure to grab some chocolate at the nearby supermarket. For three hours I viewed wonderful Belgian scenery as the train rode eastward. Eventually this scenery turned into Luxembourg. I can't say I knew very much about this incredibly small and landlocked country of less than five hundred thousand but my plan was to stop in for a few short hours, as an extended stay would be out of my budget. My train arrived into the central station and I decided to immediately buy an exit ticket, surprised at how much it would cost to get out. With all my gear in tow, I walked out of the station and into the beautiful ... read more