blogalicious: you add a little paprika and it all turns red

School started and it’s so much better than last year—so much that I might actually call it enjoyable. Last year, I was bawling my eyes out after four days and Natan said I looked like the “sad drama mask” when I slept. This year I am marveling at their antics and phased by nothing. But, as it is still a job that I have to go to, regardless of my feelings (although I don’t have to be there until 10:30, which is making my life remarkably pleasant), I don’t want to lose sight of the amazing reward for teaching: the summer!

This summer I went to Iceland with my mom and aunt, and Norway by myself. Iceland was probably one of the best vacations of my life. I have been fortunate to have had many pleasurable trips to far away lands, but this one was awesome due to my companionship. I’m going to make an early call for a hot new trend: 30 something’s vacationing with their parents and/or older generation family members. Get IN now, people! I’m making this call based on observing a young man of about my age eating hard boiled eggs and jam with his dear old mum in the lobby of one of my hotels in Norway. Traveling with elders is awesome: you get to hear stories of yore, the pace is slower, the vacation feels like it had some merit (family bonding) beyond just seeing stuff, if you ever need anything (and I mean literally any kind of drug--prescription or otherwise) then the chances are that someone has it. Amazing! My favorite part was asking my aunt to describe in detail the retirement community of which she is a part—hearing stories of the sweet life after work was pretty inspiring!

We left for Iceland on my 31st birthday, and when we arrived at the Reykjavik city hostel, my aunt surprised us with sugar free cookies and fake candles! It was pretty awesome, especially coming on the heels of my brother’s singing Sponge Bob card and getting carded when I bought cold medicine in Boston.

Being of northern latitude, it was of course still light when we arrived and totally moon-like with expansive lava fields that cover the land around the airport. There were also pretty lupine flowers, planted to stave off erosion.

We saw many awesome things: waterfalls, glaciers, geysers, modern art, bilingual teens (blew my mind open), the mid-Atlantic ridge, Viking stories told through realistic and bloody sculptures, hydrothermal power plants and ultra modern locker rooms. And that’s just off the top of my head! I think pictures are better at conveying the spirit of that wonderful country: