It seems that everywhere I travel to, whether it be Boston, Austin, Reykjavik, or Oslo, I always seem to fall in love with that city. It's like each city casts a spell on me and I become mesmerized by its fascinating sights and different people. Every country, city, town, and village I visit always takes a little piece of my heart forever. I have become pretty used to this routine of falling in love with places for a short period of time and then having to depart from them. Usually I don't mind it, and I'm content with leaving a place with the hopes that I will one day be able to return. But recently, I have fallen for a city harder than ever before.
I just finished spending a magical 10 days in the beautiful northern city of Tromsø, and it stole my heart completely.
Tromsø is located in northern Norway, 350 kilometers (217 miles) inside the Arctic Circle, so for a girl who had been living in Texas for 3 years, it was quite cold. And I loved every second of it. The air was so fresh. It just made you feel alive as soon as you walked out the door.
My heart belonged to this beautiful place the second I laid eyes on the scenery around me. Everywhere you turn, you are surrounded by gorgeous towering mountains that are so captivating, its so hard to look away. And to make this sight even better, I got to see this gem of a city covered in a blanket of white sparkling snow. There is nothing better than waking up, looking out your window, and seeing mountains as far as the eye can see covered in snow (especially if it's been quite a few years since you've seen proper snow!). No matter where you go in Tromsø, you will be blown away by its beauty.
And then of course, there are the Northern Lights.
If you're lucky enough to get a clear night in the city, you can actually see the lights from inside the city. They may not be bright inside the city, but you can still see them. A good place to see the auroras on a clear night is Prestvannet Lake; just a 15 minute walk from the city center. And they are the most beautiful, fascinating sight you will ever see in your life.
The one thing that may have been better than the amazing scene that is Tromsø, is its people (and maybe its drinks?). While in this city I met so many new and beautiful people every single day that I was there. They all kindly welcomed me into there lives, whether it be for a day or 4 days. Some were even kind enough to welcome me right into their homes. I know that I have made some life-long friends in Tromsø! So thank you to all of my new Norwegian friends for teaching me about your culture (and mine), your country, and for sharing in some great times!
Now that I've told you about all of the reasons that I fell so hard, I thought I would show you. Here are a few shots from my trip to Tromsø that captured my heart. I hope you enjoy and are inspired to see this beautiful place for yourself one day.
Special thanks to Steph, Suzanne, Theresa, Mariana, Aleks, Sondre, Ole, Jonas, Torstein, Petter Pan, Katie, Josephine, and all the other friends who welcomed me in Tromsø! You're all wonderful human beings and I can't wait to see you all someday again!
If you would have told me 3 years ago that I would be travelling the world on my own today, I probably would have just laughed in your face.
I never even pictured myself leaving New York. But I did, and now here we are. I have just completed my first full week of being a solo traveler, and I have been absolutely loving it.
You never truly know what the world will be like outside of your comfort zone until you just go. And once you do go, I can almost guarantee that you will never want to turn back. Walking into the unknown will become your favorite thing to do. Eating local delicacies and having no idea what they are will become normal. Living out of a backpack, having new friends come in and out of your life everyday, basically eating whatever is cheapest, and coffee, lots and lots of coffee, will be how you live now.
In this past week, I have learned more about the world and about myself than I have in my whole life.
Here is what I learned from my first week as a solo traveler.
Mountains are hard to climbLiterally and figuratively. It is hard to climb a mountain! Especially when it is hailing and you do not have the best shoes on for hiking up a mountain. It's also hard in the figurative way of facing challenges, especially when you're on your own and have to work through the problem by relying on only yourself.
But climb every mountain because the view is always worth itThere is no better feeling than reaching the top of a mountain, or making it through a tough situation, and turning around to look at how far you have come and to see the beautiful view. It will leave you speechless. Trust yourselfWhen you are out somewhere in the world all by yourself, you have to learn to trust your instincts. If something doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right. You also have to learn to believe in yourself. No problem will be too difficult to overcome if you trust and believe in yourself.You're the only one you can trust and rely on when you're traveling solo anyways!Talking to strangers is okayWhen we're young, we are taught no never talk to strangers. Well forget that rule. Talk to strangers. You never know where a simple conversation will lead. That then stranger could end up becoming your best friend or the love of your life. If you never talk to them. you will never know. And people aren't all out to get you. Most people are actually quite kind.Getting lost leads to great findsSimply walking around a new city by yourself without a map or any directions is now one of my favorite things to do when I first get to a new city. You stumble upon some of the coolest little shops and hidden gems of a city. It also helps you get to know the city better and feel more at one with it and its people.Your adventures will inspire othersIn the past week, I have had multiple people tell me that what I'm doing is so inspiring. At first I didn't understand why it was so inspiring to others. But then I realized why it was; I am out here living my dream and doing what most people only say they will do or dream of doing. And watching someone follow their dreams and actually live their dream truly is inspiring. Don't stress over what you cannot control
You're probably going to miss a bus, get the wrong train, and lose your bag at least once. And when those things happen, it sucks, but there is nothing you can do about it at that moment. So let it go, laugh it off and move on!
The world isn't as cruel as people tell youIf you watch the news today, all you'll see is horrible sadness. But if you actually get out into the world, you will realize that that sadness is only a small part of what this world is made up of. There is so much love and joy out in the world just waiting for you to find it. All you have to do is make that first jump!Never be afraid of the unknown. Be fearlessLife is one big "unknown". This is the best thing I learned from my travels thus far. You cannot be afraid of this life. Everything that you've ever wanted and dreamed of is just right on the other side of fear. Be fearless. That doesn't mean you can't be scared of things in this life. Being fearless means being absolutely terrified of something, but doing it anyway. I would say that I had a pretty successful first week of my new life as a solo traveler. I am so looking forward to the weeks/months that are ahead of me. Go out and live the adventure friends!
About a year and a half ago, I read a blog post by one of my favorite travel bloggers, Adventurous Kate. Her post was about why Iceland is the best place for a newbie solo female traveler. By the time I finished the post, I was already looking up flights and accommodations for Iceland.
Now, a year and a half later, I took all of Kate's advice and have just finished my first international solo adventure, in Iceland.
Since I was so inspired by Kate and her reasons for why Iceland is the perfect country to test the waters of solo travel, I decided I would put my own spin on the same post topic. So, from a solo travel newbie no more, here are my reasons why Iceland makes the perfect place for first-time solo female travelers.
No matter where you go, people speak English
Travelling alone internationally for the first time can be very intimidating. Especially if you start off in a country where English is very rarely spoken. In Iceland, almost everyone speaks both Icelandic and English. Most of the signs are also in both languages, so it is very easy to communicate here.
There are so many day toursOne of the quickest and easiest ways to make friends while traveling solo is to go on day tours or excursions. You'll soon realize that there are so many other solo travelers out there. While I was on The Golden Circle day tour, I met a girl who I became friends with and then spent 2 more tours/excursions with the next day. Just by talking to someone or asking them to take your picture on a day tour could lead you to awesome new friends.
Reykjavik is a very walkable and safe city
When you first start travelling alone, another fear is that you won't know how to find your way in a new city. Reykjavik, however is a very safe and walkable city. You are able to get lost all over town, and still find your way back.
Iceland is great to explore on a layover
A lot of people I met in Reykjavik were just there as a stopover to another country. Travelers would have about a 2 day or so stopover in Iceland, and then fly off to their destination. This is a great idea because you can easily explore Iceland in a weekend.
It is one of the most beautiful places in the world
If you're just starting out as a solo female traveler, you might as well start somewhere absolutely amazing! There are so many natural wonders to be seen in Iceland, it is like you have gone to another planet. Between the lava fields, the volcanoes, the geysers, and the Northern Lights, you are bound to leave in complete awe of this country.
I am so glad that I started my new journey in Iceland. It helped give me the confidence that I needed to know that I can make it on my own. Now, it will forever hold an extremely special place in my heart!
If you ever travel to Iceland, I hope it treats you as well as it treated me! Happy travels!
If you have ever read this blog, you'd know that seeing the Northern Lights is where everything started for me. That was my main reason and motivation for leaving a comfortable life for one of constant movement and change. As I'm writing this, I'm on my third flight of the day, on the first day of my new life. And what just happened on this flight was everything I wanted and more. It was magical.
Flying With The Northern Lights
What it's like to become one with your dream.
Right now I have no idea what time it is, and I think we're flying somewhere over Greenland. Not going to lie, it has been a long day of running around airports, waiting in long security lines, and getting almost no sleep for 2 days prior. So let's just say I was really looking forward to sleeping on this overnight flight to Reykjavik, Iceland.
But what just happened on this flight makes me so happy that I wasn't able to fall asleep.
Just as the not so comfortable seats of a budget airline were starting to get the best of me, the flight attendant came over the intercom announcing that she was going to turn all the cabin lights off because there is a show going on outside of our windows.
As all of the lights went out, I looked out my window and was in complete awe. It was my dream becoming a reality.
The Northern Lights were right in front of me. Brilliant green colors moving around and dancing in the sky. It wasn't like we were just observing them though. It was as if we were part of them. Dancing through the sky with them.
And for those few minutes, we were just one with the beautiful display of lights. It was the most magical moment that I have ever experienced in my life. Even now that we are past the Auroras, the sky is still putting on a show for this flight. I have never seen more stars than the amount that I am looking at right now.
I wish everyone had the opportunity to witness what I witnessed tonight. Thank you for a beautiful start to my new life, Auroras!
