The Silfra Fissure is for real. Today, November 15, is the first time I snorkeled in 3 degrees Celsius. First time I swam inside a crack in the Earth. First time I put on a dry suit. I keep saying Iceland is a Land of Fire and Ice but yesterday I was in a geothermal pool of warm, milky blue, saltwater in a bathing suit and today I was in ice-cold fresh glacier melt in a dry suit. And both were natural temperatures! It sounds impossible but you can dive and snorkel in ICE-land. In fact, it’s supposed to be one of the top dive sites in the world because of the uniqueness and the incredible visibility. 100+ meters! That’s…
Northern Light Inn
My friend Tina was the first person I ever knew to go to Iceland. This was back in the late 90s or early 2000s when no one was really going to Iceland. Back then she told me it was like the surface of the moon. Which I really didn’t understand. Because a) how did she know what the surface of the moon was like and b) what in the world made the geography like something out of this Earthly world? I finally have an answer. It’s the lava landscape. Iceland was formed a long time ago from volcanos and earthquakes. And as the earth moved and erupted and land rose from the ocean and the lava came pouring out of…
Iceland’s Blue Lagoon
November 13, 2019. 8 AM. I’m on the plane on my way to Iceland. Technically I’m on my way to Portland, Oregon. I decided to fly out of John Wayne Airport, instead of having John drive me to LAX at the break of dawn. I was supposed to go non-stop SNA to Seattle, but at the last minute the flight got cancelled and I got re-routed from SNA to Portland to Seattle. When I left the house this morning I took a package of Trader Joe’s orange cranberry scones with me. My husband said, why are you taking those? I said, because food is really expensive at the airport and in Iceland. Maybe I’ll want a snack. He said, that’s…
Disney Princess
This blog post is not about Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella or Tiana. Actually, it’s about 2 cruise ships: the Disney Wonder and Royal Princess. I went on both in a short time period and so I thought I’d combine the two reflections into one post. First, the Disney half. Until recently, I’d never been on a Disney cruise ship. I happen to have a few good friends who love Disney Vacations and at least one of them has probably been on a Disney cruise a half dozen times. So when I got the chance for a tour on October 9, I had to go, if only to tell them I’d finally gotten on board. Disney Wonder was docked down in San…
Disneyland MaxPass: Yes or No?
The first Star Wars movie (A New Hope) came out in 1976 when I was itty bitty. I don’t remember if I saw it in its original run or not. What I do clearly remember is watching The Empire Strikes Back on the big screen and my little brother was scared of the swamp scene with Yoda and had to leave the theater. I don’t remember if I got to watch it to the end. Return of the Jedi has always been my favorite of the original trilogy. Maybe because I was finally old enough for the entire movie to sink in and I wasn’t being asked to escort my brother outside. I will always remember the shock and thrill…