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!
Just a quick little updating post..
The excitement is real!!! Things are happening and I am extremely excited about it!
By things happening, I mean that I booked my first hostel, in my first stop, on my first trip (I just said first a lot)! This was a big step for me. Now everything just seems more real. I was going to wait a little while longer to book the hostel, but I found such an amazing deal for a cute little hostel in Reykjavik, Iceland, and I could not pass it up.
Reykjavik is going to be my first stop. I'll be there for about 4 days. Then it's off to Tromsø, Norway for a bit. And then traveling down Norway to Oslo!
Booking the first hostel for this trip gave me such a feeling of joy like I have never felt before. This may seem silly, but it made me feel so much more confident in myself and my trip. It was kind of like reassuring myself that I can and will do this. And I'll do it on my own.
If just booking my first hostel for this trip made me feel the way it did, I honestly cannot even imagine what it's going to be like while I'm full on into this. Soon it will be October and I'll be on my way to living my dream. This is such an exciting thought, I cannot even contain myself!!!!!
Thanks for bearing with all of my excitement. And also the fact that I said excitement/excited too much..
Have a fabulous weekend and go find an adventure! My adventure this weekend is finding a second job to fund my travels :)
Until next time!
xx
