Finding the land of fire and ice

A few years ago, I decided it was time to do some of the things I’d always dreamed of. Top of the list? I wanted to see the aurora borealis. I’d heard so much about it from friends (one Alaskan friend told me the aurora makes a sound—what?!). I’d seen the surreal images (could it really look like that?). I wanted to know, so I started researching where to go to see the aurora.

Turns out, there are lots of options, both in the northern and southern hemispheres (aurora australis). I learned quickly that there are no guarantees. You need darkness (no aurora shows up during the months of the midnight sun) and to be far towards the poles to see the lights. And you need the aurora to be active. But even given all of these elements, you can still be thwarted in your attempts by simple cloud cover.

I decided that I should find a place to go where there would be amazing things to see even conditions ended up being too poor to catch the aurora. I wanted a place that was relatively easy to get to and yet would expose us to a new culture. And the more I researched Iceland, the more excited I became about seeing its natural wonders, soaking in its hot springs, and getting to know its people.

And that’s how we ended up in Iceland in October of 2018. October, you ask? The lights are actually visible well outside of what we think of as winter months. The aurora borealis season is approximately September-April, in fact, and many say the fall or spring are peak times to view when compared to the dead of winter.

Iceland was amazing. I fell in love with it—the people, the language, the culture, the scenery. And yes, I fell in love with the aurora, which we got to see many times on our tip, including on our very first night.