I’m a mother of two independent adult boys in their 30s and three years ago, my partner of 24 years passed away suddenly. Along with my grief I also began to feel a deep sense of loneliness and despair as I was used to a busy house full of family and suddenly, I was on my own. I started to seek adventure as a way forward. Walking and hiking helped me initially, but I needed more. I discovered that the more challenging the adventure, the better I felt about myself and what I could do as a solo female.
This is when my life changed in a grand way. One of my adventures was to wonderful Iceland.
I started watching travel videos online and Iceland kept catching my attention. To me it seemed like a kind of fairytale, magical and enchanting land that was so mystifying and different.
I researched further and discovered it is indeed a nature lover’s paradise with its glaciers, hot springs, lava fields and waterfalls. And although it’s named Iceland, only a small part is glaciated.
After further research I learnt that it is one of the few countries in the world that allows people to hike its active volcanoes and that sounded incredibly exciting to me and a must do tour.
The tour guides were two friendly middle aged ‘Viking’ men who spoke fluent English. They picked me up early from my hostel in Reykjavik and drove us out to the extraordinary mountain peaks covered in black volcanic ash which in time covered itself in moss from the cold damp temperatures. I’ve never seen anything quite like it, it had an otherworldly appearance.
The guides then walked us through nearby lava tunnels which went on for miles. After spending a good hour roaming through and negotiating narrow uneven burrows, our guides then led us to the base of Meradalir Volcano.
We were led up the black igneous rock to fissures where you could see, smell and feel the heat from the hot lava below. I thought to myself ‘Where else in the world could you possibly experience this?’
I did feel relatively safe as there was many people traversing the area like it was Central Park, however I was greatly aware of the unpredictability of active volcanoes, and I could feel my adrenaline levels increase.
The tour then led us on a hike to the highest point which took approximately two hours, and there we got the most stunning and extraordinary view from the top of the volcano.
You could see the black and red path of the lava spilling over and out for miles, less than one year ago travelling down through the rolling mountains. It was a spectacular sight and an experience of a lifetime and one I’ll never forget.
This experience is one of many that I’ve had since I began my adventures. My life now feels fulfilled and exciting. I find myself saying wow frequently and I am grateful for every day.
It was both a humbling and exhilarating experience. This world of ours is truly remarkable and there for all of us to see and experience.
My message to all is go out in search of things that excite you. Life is too short!
