ICELAND DAY 4 (Fáskrúðsfjörður > Mývatn)

Being so busy and overwhelmed is the pits. I’ve had lots of big life shifts over here and I’m trying to figure it all out! Nori in 1st grade and routines. Nico is doing 3

afternoons a week. And sports or shooting 7 nights a week. Plus Rachey had to go be a nurse (hooray for her BOO FOR US), so I just have my mom a couple days a week

and trying to find help all the hours between to help the sh*t show happening in our family room. (Like literally, my babies like to play with their poop and not always

their own. :-/ ) Also there’s this business that I work an easy 60+ a week. Right. How does this all become cohesive? How do I be in so many places at once? So much

arranging of schedules and can I get an AMEN for carpools! Someone just come figure out a master schedule for my life while I reminisce about that lovely time we

had in Iceland! Still processing the rest of the trip. :0

So gloomy, yet it’s still magical.

The terrain changed drastically out of nowhere. From luscious green to barren rock.

Europe’s most powerful waterfall.

I just felt the pressure and had to do it. But once I went up to balance I was liiike, holy angry water. What do I focus on? The sound of my heart thudding

out of my chest? The misted rock beneath my foot? The water crashing on rocks below and across from me bouncing 25ft back into the air. So, sorry for the crap

form. I just couldn’t bring myself to risk my life over a cool pose.

The side we were on was all boulders. Across the way where the wind took the mist, was all beautiful and green!

Like a boss.

I decided to do something easier and go 25 yards away from the crashing to focus out in the distance vs my impending death beneath my gaze.

This was part of our hike there and as you can see we took switchbacks all the way down then over to the far left at the break in water.

Because you don’t hike everywhere with a tripod and then not use it for cool things. Adam looks like he’s going to come down and go straight down into

the canyon. Bahaha. Cya never, husband!

This was the most astounding shift in landscape. We drove up a hill and onto Mars.

Barren and desolate with the horrendous smell of sulfur wafting in the hot air. Like, words can’t describe the foul stench. 2yr old rotten eggs topped with rotting

fish then imagine worse than that. Super healthy to inhale and clearly signage was everywhere warning us of the potential brain frying and lung damage we were doing

if there longer than 30 seconds. Sike! Nothing. “Good luck, tourists! Try not to die of fume inhalation, but if you do, no one will recognize the scent of your decaying

body over the natural bubbling up molten lava beneath the surface! Have fun! Stay safe! Love, Iceland!”

We were in the highlands in geothermal areas of Hverir. A volcanic crater filled with a hot spring.

Just your average drive by waterfall!

Without the use of a drone for an aerial view (Sorry, Adam really did try his best to convince me to buy one before leaving for the trip. Nope.), you can’t understand this

rock formation. Ásbyrgi is another one of those wonders of nature we saw time and time again. In the middle of a forest, a horse-shoe shaped canyon named Oxarfjordur.

Asbyrgi sat in Jökulsárgljúfur, which was part of the Vatnajökull National Park we leisurely walked through.

Where’s a bride and groom when you need them? How about a sweaty us. Yes, that’s our selfie stick hanging from my harness. :0

Ásbyrgi dead ends into this hidden lake and a massive rock wall. (Think futuristic movies like Maze Runner.) This area is filled with legends like the Huldufólk,

the “hidden people” in the Icelandic folklore. There were stories posted about these fairies or trolls who lived in and became part of the rock walls pictured here.

Some mentioned stories of forbidden love while others prevented children from wandering away from home to respect the harsh power of nature.  According to these

Icelandic folk beliefs, one should never throw stones because of the possibility of hitting the huldufólk, leading to your own demise.

So many letters.

Back to enhancing my pretty clients! And by the way, Adam is working on all these images for me and I’m writing. If you waited for me to do it, you may as well

never see them. Thanks Adam! Hope Iceland is on your bucket list now! Heart, Melanie & Adam.