The Bi-Line

 You've read about my day-to-day journeys in Iceland. Now I want to look back on it and talk about some things.  This trip wasn't about fun. It wasn't about seeing beautiful things. This trip was about two things: testing my mental illnesses and being my own person. I was only able to pay for this trip because I'm on disability from my mental illnesses preventing me from holding down a job. I paid for this trip with back pay from this. This is money the federal government said that they owed me for the time I became unable to work up until the time that I received my first disability paycheck.  As great as this trip was, I'm neither blessed nor lucky to have been able to go. I'm cursed and was able to go because of money from that curse. I'd trade every second I spent in Iceland (no offense Arnar and Soffía) for the ability to hold down even a part time job. As much stress as you get from your jobs, take solace in knowing that you have the ability to work. Y...

  Day 15 - October 11 I woke up early, had some tea, and finished packing. I sat around the kitchen. I met a new traveler and gave her some info I've learned from my time in Iceland. I met another traveler who was leaving. I washed a spoonful of instant coffee down with some tap water. When your flight leaves at 5:05 and your bus to the airport doesn't leave until almost 2:30, there's not much to do but sit around. I took a cab to the bus station. It cost me about $13, but it's the only way to get there with luggage, if you can't pay online or walk 17 minutes. I ended up paying about $26 for a bus so I could get to the airport about 45 minutes earlier than the other bus would be. Plus: I knew for sure that this one has plenty of space for my luggage. I got the airport and made to security with no issues. Making it THROUGH security, though, was different. My bags and coat were on different trays. All three trays were flagged and had to be checked. I forgot to put ...

  Day 14 - October 10 This is going to be a short entry, and hopefully tomorrow's will be too. If tomorrow's is long, it will mean that the travel was eventful, and I like my travel to be simple and less than noteworthy. I got up, had breakfast, started packing,  took the bus to the tattoo shop, and got a hand poked tattoo. It didn't hurt any worse than my 7 that were done with machines. It cost less than I anticipated, leaving me with more money leftover on the trip than expected. I took the bus back, not realizing that the driver takes a 20 minute break after a few more stops. He let me stay on the bus. It was fine. I got back, had lunch, went to get a few last souvenirs for myself (I didn't have anything with the Icelandic flag on it), came back, and finished all of the packing that can be done before tomorrow morning. The only stuff that isn't packed is stuff that I'm going to need tonight and/or in the morning. My Icelandic family (the friends I've...

 Day 13 - October 9  I woke up and took the bus across town, to take a covid test. I had an appointment scheduled for 9:00. When I got off the bus, the GPS gave me some confusing directions. Instead of just walking across the street and walking a few hundred feet down the sidewalk, I got lost and went another way. I walked through a residential area, crossed the road I was originally supposed to cross, walked through an area full of mechanics and construction, took a detour, had to turn around because of construction, went back to the original road, walked on a grassy median because there was no sidewalk, and finally got to where I needed to go. A 3 minute walk turned into a 30 minute walk, all because I got lost.  They had no problem with me being late. They scanned the QR code on my confirmation email, and swabbed my nostrils. By the time I got back to the guesthouse, I got my results and they're negative. (YAY!)  I was booking my ride to the airport, when I got a ...

  Day 12 - October 8 I woke up and had some tea. I chatted with a nice couple from Chicago. Typical morning at the guesthouse. Afterward, I went to the national museum. When I saw the weapons, I felt a strong connection with my viking age ancestors. Though they didn't go to Iceland, those were the exact same kinds of weapons they used. Actual ancient swords, spearheads, and axheads? It was just so amazing! The things I learned about Iceland's history were great, but the weapons just made me feel so happy. Not in a psychotic way, mind you. My ancestors were warriors, so yeah. I took the bus back to the guesthouse, but accidentally took one going the opposite way. So, I took the long way around. I went shopping for my final souvenir and ran into some people from my first adventure here. I was masked, not wearing a hat, and wearing a different coat and yet they knew who I was. It showed how tight our group was. I also saw a guy who was severely mentally ill, on drugs, or both. ...

  Day 11 - October 7 (Note: after posting my day 10 blog, I noticed that I won't have enough of my antidepressants to last me the whole trip. So, I'll be taking them once a day instead of twice a day. I should be fine. At least it's not my mood stabilizer.) Once again, I woke up exhausted. I went to the kitchen for some tea and had a conversation with an Irishman. After that, a different Irishman (who was leaving) gave me his last bit of Irish whiskey. I tried to give it to the Irishman I spoke to earlier but he doesn't drink whiskey. I know. I know. After that, I went to 3 thrift stores and found some souvenirs. I got some groceries. I came back, took a nap, and had some tea. I tried to pawn the whiskey off on a couple from Holland but they don't like whiskey. Still trying to get rid of this whiskey without wasting it or drinking it. I know that there have been some boring days, but not every day of a long vacation can be eventful. I'm here for 2 weeks. I wa...

  Day 10 - October 6 I woke up with a minor cold and sore legs. I had some tea and then went back to bed. It's odd that I need the most rest on the days after my least active tours, and not the days after my most active tours. As it turns out, though, I have no more tours unless I do the Northern Lights one (which I've been considering canceling because I saw them from the airplane and the aurora has been pretty weak lately...plus clouds.) Because of gale force winds on the south coast, my south coast tour was canceled. This was the tour I was most excited about, but gale force wind is no joke. I've seen loads of beauty on this trip. If I can't see anything else, then so be it. Gonna try to make the best of these last few days. Saturday is a covid test and maybe the Northern Lights tour. Sunday is my new tattoo. As much as I enjoy getting tattoos, I'm a bit nervous about this one. It's handpoked. Never had one of those. Anyway, I walked out to a store that sel...

  Day 9 - October 5 I woke up early and decided to have a cup (or 3) of tea. I had a wonderful conversation with a man from Israel. I'm still uncomfortable telling people I'm on disability, so I told him that I'm between jobs and traveling while I can. Anyone who knows me knows how hard it is for me to lie, but this is one situation in which I find no trouble in such things. It was a quarter til 8 when I realized that I was supposed to be at the bus station at 8 and not at the stop by my guesthouse. I didn't have time to catch a bus or cab, so I called the tour company and they changed my pickup location, without hesitation. It was 10 til 8 when I realized that I left my mask in my room, so I had to rush up there to retrieve it. Thankfully, I made it back in time to be picked up. It was 8:21 when I realized that I left my big camera and my phone charger in my room. All of my photos would have to be taken on my phone. Thankfully, it has a fantastic camera...or 4. Well,...

  Day 8 - October 4 Well, I've been here a full week. Time has certainly flown by. Part of that may be because of how exhausted I was on many occasions. Regardless, I've started the second half of my trip. It's odd to think that I survived my first week. I want to look back on it, before talking about this day. My first week began with exhaustion and anxiety. There were breakdowns and even contemplations of leaving early. There was an epiphany where I knew I could make it. I walked through wind and sleet. I walked between continents. I hiked to am ice cave and drank water from a glacier. I walked five miles around downtown Reykjavik. I met up with a friend and his family, and the best Pizza Hut that I've ever had. I hiked up a mountain and almost got blown down to my death. I stood on rock that could have easily cracked open and led to me burning burnt alive by lava (didn't think that one through.) Quite the week! What lies ahead may be more interesting. Who knows?...

  Day 7 - October  3 When I woke up, my back was so sore that I needed to use a trekking pole to get out of bed. Not exactly the best way to start a day that's supposed to involve hiking. I checked the YouTube live feeds of the volcano, saw no lava activity. Not exactly the best way to start a day that's supposed to involve seeing an active volcano for the only time. So, yeah...this day didn't start out in exactly the best way. I went on my adventure, regardless. What the adventure it was! We went to a location where we could hike up a mountain and see an active volcano. As you know, I'm not quite in hiking shape. I kept wanting to give up. For willpower, I recited the Green Lantern oath again and again. (It's something I do.) I started to look at different points and tell myself "I'm going to reach that point" and kept going to each one. If the steepness of the mountain wasn't bad enough, the loose terrain and high winds were. Once again, my trek...

  Day 6 - October  2 (HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!) I woke up and had time to kill before meeting a dear friend of mine and his family. It's the day between two hikes. So, what did I do? I went for a walk. The walk ended up lasting 5 hours and covered almost everything in Reykjavik that I wanted to see. I started with walking down Laugavegur, which is a long street that's lined with stores and restaurants. I did some souvenir shopping. I decided that I may as well walk to the Saga Museum, so I did. I went there and did the tour. I listened to an audio guide, as I walked through lifelike/life-sized dioramas about the history of Iceland's first people. It was really interesting and informative. After that, I decided to walk toward Hallgrimskirkja (the big church in many Reykjavik pictures), since it's a sort of central point in downtown. On my way there, I stopped by the Settlement Exhibit. It's a museum that was built around the excavated remains of an ancient Icelandic S...

Day 5 - October 1 After the longest off and on slumber of my life, I woke up 2 hours before my alarm. I took a shower and the sulfuric smell was stronger than before. It smelled like I was sniffing the air coming up from a pot of boiling eggs. Eggs are considered a breakfast food, so I guess it fits the morning. I walked out to the sidewalk a bit too early and waited for my ride. Thankfully, the weather was fine. Nothing I haven't experienced on the coldest winter nights at home. When I gog on the tour bus, I noticed that leg room is just NOT something they have much of, in Icelandic. That's odd, since Icelandair has wonderful leg room in their basic seats. I dealt with it.  Our first stop was to see the Skógafoss waterfall. It created the most perfect rainbow I've ever seen. Usually rainbows are just kinda cool, but this one was magical. It fits since there's a legend that a man threw all his gold in the falls. After that, we made our way to Katla. We got off the t...