ICELANDIC MOTHER/DAUGHTER TRIP

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The idea of going to Iceland sprung to mind and grew into being mid-yachting charter season. It was my very first yachting season and was basically solid 12-18 hour days for 6 straight months. I had been told by my chief mate that midseason blues were a real thing and the very best way to combat it was to buy yourself something ‘shiny’ so that you had something to look forward to and push you to get through the second half of the crazy European summer. Since I take experiences over possessions, I decided I would book a much needed holiday. I researched tons of places and decided initially I would head to Columbia and meet up with a friend I had made in India just a few months before. Even as I made the decision and was researching flights, I felt unsettled. I knew something was off. That it was the universe telling me, this ones not for you girl. It was while I was on the yacht's computer, after my shift, that it dawned on me that one of my biggest wishes was to take my mother on holiday and treat her like the absolute queen she is. I knew that she, the original creator of the bucket list, or as she calls it, her ‘List of 50 Things To Do’, had ‘watch the northern lights’ written down. It was a classic Oprah Winfrey ‘Ah-Ha’ moment. It always seems to surprise me how when things are meant to be, how seamlessly they fall into place. After years of experiencing and believing in the power of the universe, I am still in awe.



And so, discussions with my mama bear began quickly and arose easily. She chose Iceland from a list of her top three Aurora Borealis viewing countries (the other two being Norway and Finland). Iceland was picked because it seemed to be completely foreign to us. It held mystery and adventure and we seemed to resonate with the idea of going to the land of the Vikings. The decision was short and quick and was made with one phone call. In classic Emily style, hardly anything was booked or arranged prior to leaving. The flights, of course, were arranged, along with the first night's accommodation and one single tour which made up the second night's accommodation. The tour was booked because, after having researched staying in a similar venue to the famous Finnish ice igloos, we found the plastic globes in Iceland and there was only one night available for the two of us during our trip's dates.



And so we were off, not knowing what to expect, not having researched all that much, and ready for the ultimate adventure.



We arrived in Iceland and had organised an airport transfer with the Kex Hostel. We arrived at the old biscuit factory and were absolutely blown away. What we had not planned for or known about was that our trip was booked for the exact same dates as the Iceland Airwaves. A music festival to trump all other city-based music festivals. The hostel, which is an absolute must stay if you’re visiting the volcanic island, was hiving with musos and creative energy. This is of course is the space us Craiks thrive in too. We feed off of creative energy and in return give back to the space with our own smiles, excitement, and wild ideas. We were hooked! Iceland became home immediately with its amazing food (international cuisine as they themselves do not have a strong food heritage, although, of course, there are Icelandic specialties which are mind-blowing), friendliest people (there is no such thing as a language barrier out there), art, mood lighting, stunning surreal landscape, and, not to be missed, the Lebowski Bar!



We decided to use Reykjavik as our base and go out on tours from there. Neither my mom nor I are big tour people and almost always opt to get to destinations via public transport and explore on our own terms. However, Iceland during November is exactly as its name states, icy. We were nervous to hire a car and drive around the country on the rather lonely island with no experience what so ever in driving in snow. We are from the coast of South Africa, I've seen snow twice in my life up until this point lets not forget. And so, without actually deciding really, our holiday evolved to work this way.



The tours which we took, and I would recommend doing them all or using these amazing companies, were:


• Golden Circle Floating Bubble Tour with Floating Tours
• Northern Lights Super Jeep Hunt with East West Tours
• Into The Glacier with Super Jeep Tour
• Snaefellsnes Highlights with Iceland Expeditions
• Blue Lagoon with Reykjavik Excursions


Worthwhile things to do in Reykjavik:


• Yoko Ono’s Peace exhibition (more on this later)
• The Penis Museum (yep, I went with my awesome mom)
• The public spring baths
• The best hotdog in the city (the national dish)
• The Airways Festival gigs, which to be fair are difficult to not see. They are played in shop windows, down at the dock, in bars, restaurants, hostels, in the streets, just everywhere!


Places we stayed and I would totally recommend:


• Kex Hostel. Hostel vibes where there are tons of interesting fellow travellers to meet.
• Heidi's Home. Heidi is gorgeous and welcoming and it's a real experience feeling like you’re staying with an Icelander.
• OK Hotel. A self-catering unit that is trendy and in the perfect location.
• The bubble. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I would suggest making the mission and spending the money to stay here. A total must.


I know there are so many travel blogs out there and it is easy to find the famous Instagram spots to visit, eat at, and stay. What this blog is about is being your own merchant of happiness. This blog is how I have found peace, relaxation, or letting go of my shit. It’s about getting over the shitty times! I could write pages of itineraries, laced with my reviews of every place we stayed, restaurants we ate at, and the museums we visited. But we have TripAdvisor for that.



Iceland was a trip of much-needed mother/daughter bonding. Not only was it the first time I got to see each other in over 8 months, but I got to gift her and thank her for all the sacrifices she’s made for me throughout my life. Granted, one holiday is a small token compared to putting your kid through school, uni, piano lessons, extra maths, extra Afrikaans, French lessons, cello lessons, and extra swimming, not to mention, dealing with all my nasty pubescent years, still stroking my hair when I was sick and the myriad of demands a daughter makes and requires. I knew that I got to spoil her and make her feel special. We were able to bond in an experience of travel and all that that brings. We both, me getting it from my mom, use travel to overcome things whether it be our fears, for example, the fear of heights, or whether it be to get over mental fears and tribulations. Together, we were able to destress, process, and work through the stress of our first seasons working abroad. We were able to laugh and joke together and ultimately shine in all of the gratitude we had for one another and our relationship. It was so special to use our last moments in Iceland crying at the back of the Kex Hostel, hugging each other in the sheer overwhelming feeling of appreciation.



Iceland geared me up for my next steps in my career. It left me feeling strong and supported. Going to such a far-out place with such a raw, rough landscape, rubs at you like sandpaper. The land of fire and ice is exactly what happens internally: your fears and sadness are melted by the lava as your insecurities are iced over and smashed with your willingness just to simply step out and be there.



Yoko Ono’s Peace Exhibition was one of the highlights of the trip, although it's almost impossible finding a highlight when an entire trip is magic, but this instilled the feeling that I inevitably took out of Iceland and carry with me today. It showed me that although I had done all this work on myself during this trip, and spoilt my mom, it is my duty to take this out into the world and use it in the lives of others. You are a piece of the puzzle, and without everyone in place, the beauty of the image won’t be seen.

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