Worth the Wait
Have you ever really wanted something, wanted it so much and for such a long time that you couldn’t even remember why you had wanted it in the first place? You were just sure it was something necessary. Desires like that can take on a life of their own. The imagination, anticipation and build-up can create such unrealistic expectations that once you get it, if you manage to get it, disappointment is almost inevitable.
In eighth grade I did a report on Iceland. It was a big deal end-of-unit report for a two-year Map and Globe Skills class. I can’t remember what I learned during my research. I just remember deciding that someday I wanted to visit Iceland. I had to visit Iceland!
Well here I am, thirty-three years later, writing this in a hotel room in Iceland and let me say, I am not disappointed in the least! For all the excitement and build-up over the years this visit has surpassed any expectations I had. The scenery is breathtaking. The people are friendly. The pastries are delicious!
When it became clear that we were actually going to make this trip (plane tickets were purchased, a hotel was booked), I began to get a bit nervous. What if, after all this time of desiring the trip, it turned out not to be so special after all? I needn’t have worried. We are only halfway through our 5-day trip and I have already experienced such joy and awe being here.
The trip has truly been filled with dayenu moments. Seeing our daughter as she got to ride a dark brown Icelandic pony just as she had dreamed of and watching her help the folks at the farm care for the horses after our ride. Seeing her bubble with joy as she anticipated the eruption of the geysers and continually drop to her knees to more closely examine the rocks over which we were hiking. Seeing our son appreciating the amazing views of the snow covered mountains and watching him so clearly moved as he peered into the fissures where the continental plates are diverging.
But this trip is not just amazing when lived vicariously through them. I am completely overwhelmed by the beauty of this country. The mountains rising so steeply out of the flat plains. Snow covered peaks blending into the clouds above them. Waterfalls dropping so dramatically that I felt they would pull the whole world into them if we got too close. I don’t believe this trip is the trip I imagined as a thirteen year old looking for adventure beyond my small home town. I don’t believe I could have ever imagined something this spectacular. This is the trip of an armchair traveler finally getting a chance to get some dirt on her shoes. I can’t wait to see what the next two days holds for us!