#code for iceland airport

[fireflyiceland]

Complete Guide to Car Rental Requirements Iceland for Travelling Families In 2025

Hiring a car in Iceland is a great adventure that lets you travel through the country in your own time and with more freedom when touring with kids.

However, it is recommended to see and keep in mind a couple of factors that will give more pleasure in the process. For instance, when choosing a car, it would be worth it to focus on such parameters as the size of the trunk, availability of a child seat, and four-wheel drive if you are going to travel a lot on the F-road.

By carefully planning and preparing, you can make the most of your Icelandic road trip with your family. Here is a small list of all the important information for you!

What Will Travelling Families Need In Iceland In 2025?

·         Age and License Requirements

Most car rental companies in Iceland require drivers to be at least 20 years old. However, some companies may have higher age limits, especially for specific vehicle categories like luxury cars or large SUVs. Drivers under this age often incur an additional young driver fee. An International Driving Permit (IDP) is highly recommended, especially if your driver's license is not in English, French, German, Spanish, or Italian.

An IDP serves as an official translation of your driver's license and can be helpful in case of unforeseen circumstances. A valid national driver's license from your home country is also essential.

·         Insurance Coverage

These are probably the two most important kinds of insurance coverage: Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection. Both cover damage to the car as well as theft, respectively, but come with deductibles attached.

Super CDW and Super TP can be purchased for the rental of Ford Transit Rental Iceland with low or no deductible and the stress of financial loss is removed. One of the most important forms of car rental insurance covers sand and ash. This coverage safeguards the rental car against harm caused by volcanic ash, a major problem in Iceland.

·         Winter Driving Considerations

Winter driving in Iceland can be challenging due to icy roads, snowstorms, and limited daylight. Such preparations are necessary. Iceland requires winter tires for winter. Most car rental firms include winter tires with rentals. However, always contact your rental firm for confirmation.

Experience with conditions of winter driving is a must. Be prepared to get into challenging road conditions and drive accordingly.

A 4WD vehicle is highly recommended for excellent winter driving conditions. In general, a 4WD vehicle is going to perform more favorably than other vehicles in handling conditions that are slick such as icy and snowy.

Here you will find the best cheap vehicle rental in our fleet.

·         Knowing the Rental Terms & Conditions

Most car rental companies require the driver to be at least 20 years old and charge extra for drivers younger than 25. You will need a valid driver's license from your home country, and an International Driving Permit is recommended if your license is not in English.

Upgrades to Super Collision Damage Waiver (SCDW) and Super Theft Protection (STP) are needed for reduced or zero deductibles. Sand and Ash Protection is vital, especially in the case of volcanic eruptions.

Additional fees may apply, such as airport surcharges and winter tire fees. And these can add up over time even if you selected a cheap car rental Keflavik Airport in the beginning to save cost.

·         Fuel Policy to Adhere To 

Most of the car rental companies in Iceland will give you the vehicle on full-to-full, meaning the vehicle is to be returned with a full tank of fuel after receiving it with a full tank of fuel. The fuel level will be stated on the rental agreement at the time of picking up the car.

Look at the fuel gauge and ensure that you fill it up before handing it in. A number of the forestry gas stations in the rural parts of Iceland keep such limited hours that it is far more convenient for one to fill up the car in good time before they hand it back.

Some rentals have different fuel policies. Some rental companies may offer alternative fuel policies, such as paying a pre-paid fuel fee. The majority of the rental shops use fueling systems that measure fuel from full-full. Knowledge of fuel policy can effectively ensure that the renting of a car in Iceland experiences no drama.

Our detailed guide to Gas Stations in Iceland provides all the information you need, from current gas prices to tips on using self-service pumps, ensuring you’re well-prepared for your Icelandic adventure.

Click to read the full post and ensure your journey is as smooth and enjoyable.

·         Preparing a Travel Kit

When planning a family road trip to Iceland, it's essential to prepare for unexpected situations. Every car should have an emergency kit, especially for the winter season including clothing, a blanket, food and water bottles, a first aid box, a flashlight, and a power bank. The tastes offered by Icelandic food are relatively varied, but it is advisable to carry some biscuits and other edibles in large quests for long travels. But, other concerns such as the diet of preference, food allergies, and restrictions within your family should also be considered.

Such a traveling kit can indeed make you have a good time on your trip and your family will have a very comfortable time. Some useful items include sunscreen, sunglasses, hats, raincoats, and walking shoes with good tread on them.

For kids, you might want to take snacks, candies, toys, etc for children so that they can keep themselves busy when on long journeys. It also recommended that one should also carry a car seat for better transport when carrying a child in the car. The above essentials are helpful for a family road trip planning and organizing while in advance in Iceland.

In Closing…

Having learned these requirements and tips, you can have a safe and fun road trip in Iceland even on crazy winter days. You should always read the conditions of renting provision and precisely check what is allowed in F-roads, and what penalties will be charged in case of returning the automobile late or infringing the requirements.

You must also be aware of the capacities of the car you are renting. For instance, Ford Transit Rental Iceland can open up avenues for many adventures that other base models cannot. All these tips when followed together can give you a trip of a lifetime with negligible worries to deal with!

[powerpulsemag]

Category: Travel & Lifestyle

Hit the Road Unlock the Road with Carla: Power Pulse Partners with Carla Car Rental for Exclusive Deals

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[2025iceland]

Blog #2: The Bridge Between Continents

The itinerary for the trip postulates that the day we flew into the country was day one of the trip—May 19th, for reference—and that our visit to the Bridge Between Continents happened on day two—May 20th. But I think that’s stupid, especially because I stayed up for upwards of forty hours straight, and at that point time is dead and meaning has no meaning and everything completely blends together. Flying through multiple time zones creates a soul-sucking void in a person’s brain, and don’t think we had been off the plane for any more than three hours before we were floundering around in a spit of sand dividing two tectonic plates. It was like we were being tossed into a ravine of death as a sacrifice for Norse gods.

Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration but the point is that we were all exhausted. As we stumbled about like pathetic newborn lambs, I remember thinking in my state of absolute delirium that this was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen in my life.

Despite being absolutely delirious, I believe that this thought was perfectly rational, and I stand by the sentiment. It was so otherworldly. It was almost like visiting a different planet. On my previous trip to Iceland in 2021, my family and I never really strayed outside of Reykjavík, so while I got a taste of the unearthly landscape during the bus rides to and from Keflavík International Airport then, it was not until this recent trip that I was able to explore it more thoroughly. I agree with my poor sleep-deprived self that it was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. What I do look back on regarding this particular excursion and cringe at, however, is my inability to take decent photographs. Not even Snapseed could save this one. What on god’s green earth is that angle? How was I capable of twisting my neck in such a way without my skull detaching from my spinal cord? These are questions that have no answers.

Anyways, regardless of my baby sheep behavior and my baby sheep levels of photography skills in the moment that I took that particular photo, the Bridge Between Continents is truly a fascinating place to visit. According to Iceland Travel, the Reykjanes Peninsula is located right on the Mid Atlantic Ridge, meaning that it sits directly on top of the ever-moving (albeit, slowly moving) Eurasian and North American tectonic plates (https://www.icelandtravel.is/attractions/bridge-between-continents/). There is a bridge overhead that you can stand on to look out across the rift in the land, and I’m not entirely sure how they keep that up to code since the tectonic plates are moving away from each other at a rate of a few centimeters every year, but it didn’t collapse while I was standing on it so it’s not my problem to worry about.

The landscape around the rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates is desolate, yet oddly beautiful at the same time. It’s eerie, and it’s almost haunting, but maybe that’s what makes it so ethereal.

[fosscarrental]

Top Tips for Affordable Car Hire in Keflavik

Keflavik, Iceland’s gateway to the wonders of this stunning country, is a popular destination for travelers seeking both adventure and tranquility. With its dramatic landscapes, vibrant culture, and unique natural attractions, having a rental car can significantly enhance your experience. If you’re planning to explore Keflavik and its surroundings, here are some top tips for securing affordable car hire at Keflavik Airport and throughout the region.

Book Early to Secure the Best Rates

One of the most effective ways to ensure you get a great deal on car rental in Keflavik is to book your vehicle well in advance. Car hire rates can fluctuate based on demand, availability, and the time of year. By reserving your car early, you’ll have access to a wider selection of vehicles at lower prices. This is especially important during peak tourist seasons, when demand for rentals increases and prices tend to rise.

Compare Prices Online

Before making a final decision, take the time to compare prices across different car rental providers. Numerous online platforms and aggregators allow you to easily compare rates, vehicle types, and rental terms from various companies. By doing so, you can identify the most cost-effective options and avoid potential pitfalls. Be sure to check for any hidden fees or additional costs that might affect the total price.

Choose the Right Vehicle for Your Needs

Selecting the right vehicle for your needs can help you avoid unnecessary expenses. If you’re traveling alone or with a partner, a compact car may be sufficient and more affordable. For larger groups or families, an SUV or a minivan might be necessary. However, keep in mind that larger vehicles often come with higher rental costs and increased fuel consumption. Opt for a vehicle that balances comfort and budget while matching the activities you have planned.

Consider Off-Airport Rentals

While renting a car directly from Keflavik Airport is convenient, it can also be more expensive due to airport surcharges. To save money, consider renting a car from a location in Keflavik city or nearby towns. This can sometimes result in lower rental rates and fewer additional fees. Just be sure to factor in any extra time or costs associated with traveling to the rental office and picking up the vehicle.

Review Rental Terms and Conditions

Before finalizing your car hire in Keflavik, carefully review the rental terms and conditions. Pay attention to details such as mileage limits, fuel policies, and insurance coverage. Some rental companies may offer unlimited mileage, which is beneficial if you plan to explore extensively. Also, understand the insurance options available and whether they cover potential damages or theft.

Utilize Discounts and Loyalty Programs

Many car rental companies offer discounts and promotions that can make your car hire more affordable. Look for special deals, coupons, or codes that may be available online. Additionally, if you’re a frequent traveler, consider joining a car rental company’s loyalty program. Membership often comes with perks such as discounted rates, priority service, and additional benefits.

Inspect the Vehicle Thoroughly

Upon picking up your rental car, inspect it thoroughly to ensure it is in good condition. Document any existing damage and report it to the rental company to avoid being charged for pre-existing issues. Also, familiarize yourself with the car’s features and controls to ensure a smooth driving experience.

By following these tips, you can enjoy a seamless and affordable car hire experience in Keflavik. Whether you’re exploring the enchanting landscapes of Iceland or venturing out on a scenic road trip, having a rental car provides the flexibility and freedom to make the most of your adventure. For your next trip, make sure to consider these strategies for getting the best deal on car rental in Keflavik and ensure a memorable and cost-effective journey.

For more information about Car Hire Keflavik Airport visit here: FOSScarrental

[joshuasearing]

Saturday 1st July 2023

Hey journal so the day started of yesterday by us getting up really early and getting ready for the day. I also had a morning shower which was nice and relaxing. Then after a while we left the hotel room and went and had breakfast. In the breakfast they had a decent selection and you get to pick what you want it is sort of like a all you can eat buffee but for breakfast. Anyways after breakfast we went back up to the hotel room and got everything out of the hotel room. Then we all made are way to the car and made are way at the airport. Because this was a secret for my mum about us going Iceland, so her and my brother did not know we were having to go to the airport. My mum did not have a clue where we were going for this long weekend trip. Anyways along the way to the airport I took photos of my mum so we could look back at her reactions and the way she felt when finding out we are going to the airport. Anyways once in the airport we still did not tell her and my brother where we were going. We did not end up telling my mum and brothers until we were in the queue for getting are suitcases weighed and put on the convayer belt. Anyways after this we made are way to where we had to get are bags and items checked and also had to walk from the scanning machine. Then after a while we got onto the plane. At the start of the plane journey I wrote in my book journal for a little while and wrote about 8 pages then after a while I decided to listen to some music and relax for a little bit. Then also after a while I figured out how many countries I have now been to if we were to count England where we live I have now been to 10 countries. The flight took around 2 hours and 45 minutes which went relatively quick. Also during the flight I was next to my family but I was also say on the other side with 2 strangers that I had never met. One thing that was nice was the two strangers were really nice and polite which is good. Also once we came of the plane we had to get on this bus that took us to the airport. Once we got to the airport we had to get are passports checked to make sure we were all good to get into there country. Then after waiting in the queue and getting through this system we had to go and collect are two suitcases. Then after grabbing are two suitcases we left the airport and got this taxi to are apartment. The guy was really nice and spoke and told us all this information and facts about he’s country Iceland. It was really interesting information. Once we got there my dad tried to pay but it did not accept as my dad tried to do contactless for a charge that was to much money. Anyways my dad ended up paying cash as he did not realise that was the issue he thought he’s card was not working. Then once we got to the apartment we had loads of issues with codes as my dad misread the email that he got sent. Anyways for the rest of the night we just stayed in the apartment. However I got bored so I tried to go to this gym basically joint to my apartment. However I would have to pay for a day membership. Then once I tried to sign up for the day pass I could not answer one of the questions about a social security number as I don’t have one as I’m not a Icelandic citizen. Anyways this means instead of going to the gym I decided to go and walk down to this shop called bonus and I got my self some snacks that originate from there country so then I could experience some of there snacks. After this I walked back to the apartment. Then after a couple hours I went to bed in the apartment. Now for this morning I started the day of by relaxing and I have also took some nice photos of my view that I have of the country and the mountains and the beautiful lake nearby. Then this morning I also tried two of there chocolates I liked one but not the other. The one I did not like had liquorice in it and I don’t like it. Anyways I will speak to you later journal! Bye journal!

[abalonetea]

Hi!!! I've been out of the loop and I just realized you're going to London?! That sounds so exciting (and also nerve-wracking)! What are you going for, if you don't mind me asking? I've never been abroad myself so I like to live vicariously through my friends lol. I hope all the preparations and writing work crunches go ok!

Etta!!! It's a work trip!!! My main freelance employer is paying for me to come out for a solid week! I've literally never been away from home for longer than three days, and never left the state before, let alone the country, so I'm super, super nervous!

I leave on the 18th, and I have a very brief layover in Iceland on the way there, but on the trip back home, I have a 16 hour layover in Iceland! I get in at 1130pm and don't leave until 530pm the next day, it's so wild to think about!

A lot of the itenary has been kept secret, but I know that there are many writing sessions scheduled, and that we're going to have dinner at the Ritz one night (i've never even eaten at Olive Garden and now I'm gonna be eating somewhere with a dress code??? Baffling!), and it's all managed to creep up on me out of seemingly nowhere!

I'm super excited but also super, super nervous! It's so many firsts! I've never even been in an airport before, let alone International!

[meet-me-onthe-equinox]

have fun, baby:

5: Book/series I reread?

17: Pirates or ninjas?

18: Movie I watch when I’m feeling down?

22: A good quality of mine?

52: When do I feel most at peace?

72: If I won the lottery, what would I do?

81: Story behind my last kiss?

88: What makes me really angry?

107: Guilty pleasure?

114: A place I have not been but wish to visit?

121: Am I allergic to anything?

145: In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family?

170: One of my favourite quotes?

185: If I could master one skill, what would I choose?

194: If I could choose my last words, what would they be?

210: What is on my bucket list?

Thank you so much I was soooo bored!!

5: Book/series I reread?

The last one I reread was Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer :)

17: Pirates or ninjas?

None n_n"

18: Movie I watch when I’m feeling down?

There are a few: Safety Not Guaranteed, The Great Gatsby, Into the Wild, HP 7.1, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close ;) , Speak, New Moon, Gone Girl, Someday this Pain Will Be Useful to You, Jane Eyre...

22: A good quality of mine?

Excellent driver.

52: When do I feel most at peace?

Whenever I don't have to talk to anybody, specially when I'm in bed.

72: If I won the lottery, what would I do?

Buy a house and never work again.

81: Story behind my last kiss?

She drove me to the airport and I was saying goodbye to her because I had a flight to catch... But I didn't wanna leave.

88: What makes me really angry?

Slow drivers, slow walkers, slow lines at the grocery store, traffic. Basically everything that gets in my way 'cause I'm 5 years old.

107: Guilty pleasure?

Ferrero Rocher :3

114: A place I have not been but wish to visit?

The North of Iceland.

121: Am I allergic to anything?

Silver earrings :/

145: In a film about my life, who would I cast as myself, friends and family?

Me: Aubrey Plaza.

@a-year-of-the-halley: Gérard Jugnot but with a full head of hair.

Girlfriend: Mae Martin.

Mom: Susan Sarandon.

Aunts: Laura Dern, Melissa McCarthy and Helena Bonham Carter.

170: One of my favourite quotes?

“Sleep is like a cat: it only comes to you if you ignore it.”

185: If I could master one skill, what would I choose?

Coding :(

194: If I could choose my last words, what would they be?

I'm at peace now.

210: What is on my bucket list?

Owning a cat!

[hereidinathoreauwrites]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist (TV), Come From Away - Sankoff & Hein Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Zoey Clarke/Joan Characters: Zoey Clarke, Joan (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Annette (Come From Away), Beulah Davis, Beverley Bass, Claude Elliott Additional Tags: Crossover, Angst and Tragedy, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, two people end up stuck together somewhere and oops they're in love, Developing Relationship, mentions of 9/11, the author is clearly just mashing together two things they very much enjoy and seeing what happens, Zoey and Joan are closer in age, college!Zoey, Gander (Come From Away), References to Come From Away Summary:

For Zoey, it was a return home from a study abroad program, back for her final semester at San Francisco State. For Joan, it was a business trip meant to fix her marriage from imminent destruction.

But when history crashed across the world on that fateful day, their lives were thrown together as they took refuge in Newfoundland and tried to cope with tragedies personal and global.

ZEP and Come From Away crossover. Because I said so.

She just wanted to get home.

Zoey Clarke tripped on her way to her seat, nearly smacking an angry-looking dark-haired first-class woman in the face. Mumbling an apology for the near-mishap, Zoey darted towards Economy, face burning.

It had been six months. Six glorious months of baguettes, and croissants, and the view across the Seine, and coding with her French classmates in two languages until the early hours of the morning. But she was finally going back home to California.

Zoey finally settled into her seat (an aisle seat) and threw her backpack into the overhead. She carefully tucked her computer case under the seat in front of her.

She’d barely settled herself before the cabin address began.

 “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome aboard this American Airlines flight 846 nonstop service from Paris to Los Angeles. My name is Captain Bass. We have an estimated flight time today of roughly 11 and a half hours and we are due to arrive in LA at 2pm local time on Tuesday, September 11th. Please sit back and enjoy your flight.”

Zoey closed her eyes as they taxied; nervous but a small part of her relieved.

She’d be home soon.

***

Meet you in LA.

Joan Bennett scowled at the SMS on her phone screen. That’s it. That was all he’d been able to muster up. Skipping out on their anniversary in Paris entirely for some stupid reason. He hadn’t even called.

She sat back in her seat as the cabin address came on, eyes already closing as the standard pre-flight information was given.

LA was his last chance. If Charlie couldn’t buck up and actually give a damn about their marriage this time she was going to…

Joan pursed her lips, resolve faltering. You’d be all alone. Despite his many, many shortcomings, Charlie was still a warm body alongside hers (on the nights he was actually home). He was still a partner in this unfriendly world. And the thought of being without him…

She drifted into an uneasy sleep as they took off towards America. Towards the man she didn’t know how to love.

 “L…ladies and g…gentlemen…p..please, please fasten your seatbelts and put your tray tables up…we are preparing to land.”

Zoey blinked awake, confused. Were they in LA already?

Glancing around, she saw several others looking just as confused as she was. Zoey glanced at her watch. It had barely been five hours since they’d left Paris.

“What’s happening?” She asked the man next to her.

He just shook his head.

Zoey tightened her seatbelt and sat back, heart racing as the plane began a slow descent. She glanced over her neighbors and saw a tiny strip of land surrounded by vast ocean.

They weren’t falling. But something about this just didn’t quite feel right.

***

The plane touched down and Joan stared out the window. This wasn’t LAX. It was some rundown airport surrounded by trees.

“Where the hell are we?” She demanded.

“Newfoundland.” The flight attendant informed her, seeming distracted. “Nothing to worry about madam.”

“Any idea when we’ll be on our way?”

But the woman didn’t answer her. She vanished into the cockpit.

Joan heard hushed voices and some kind of chatter on the pilot’s radio.

She frowned and pulled out her cell phone.

As she dialed a number, she glanced out the window again.

It was then that she registered the dozens of other planes lined up in haphazard rows. And the long line of cars beyond the airport, stretching out along the winding country road.

What was going on?

***

Seven hours later, Zoey felt like she was losing her mind. She’d tried to ask the flight attendants questions or chat with her neighbor but no one seemed to know anything or be willing to share if they did. No one around her had a phone so she couldn’t even call her parents to let them know about the delay.

Her unease had only grown when the captain announced that complimentary drinks were going to be provided. Alcoholic drinks.

In Zoey’s limited experience, businesses only gave alcohol away on holidays and during the shittiest of circumstances. She doubted it was a holiday in…wherever-they-were Newfoundland.

As her fellow passengers got drunker, they got louder. And the plane only got hotter and more stifling.

An hour after the drinks, someone finally cracked open the airplane door. It did little overall but something was better than nothing at this rate.

Zoey couldn’t take it anymore. She needed to move. She needed to plug herself into her code and block out all this madness.

Her neighbor had joined the drunken revelry at the back a half hour ago. Scooping up her computer, Zoey wriggled out of her seat and made her way towards first class. There might be more leg room up there at least. And it was further from the drunk singing.

***

Joan wanted to kill somebody. They’d been sitting on the ground for over seven hours by this point, not including the five hour flight beforehand. And still, no one was telling them what was going on.

At least the free vodka was taking some of the edge off. But if she didn’t get off this plane soon, she was going to lose her mind. Or strangle a flight attendant.

“Excuse me…?”

Joan turned and saw the klutzy redhead from earlier pointing at the empty seat beside her. “Do…do you mind if I sit here? I need to get some work done and the back of the plane is filled with a lot of singing drunk people.”

Joan eyed the stranger, seizing her up. She was younger than Joan by maybe a decade and looked even younger in her bright shirt. An even brighter cardigan was tied around her waist. Her smile was soft and hesitant, like she was afraid to offend or even exist.

Joan shrugged. “No, of course not.” She was way past the point of caring. They were stuck in a plane in the middle of nowhere. Not like things could get much worse.

The woman took Charlie’s empty seat, giving Joan a soft smile.

“I’m Zoey.” She was clutching a laptop like it was a lifeline. That was the only reason Joan engaged with her.

“Joan.” She replied.

“H…how are you doing?” Zoey asked, her face pinching in concern.

Joan sighed. “Wish I knew what was happening.” She bit her lip and swigged the rest of her vodka miniature. “And worried about someone who was flying today…I wish I could tell him I’m in…Iceland!”

“Newfoundland.” Zoey’s face immediately fell as Joan rounded on her at the correction. “Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t mean to correct you!” The young woman gave a sheepish smile. “I’m hoping you’re one of those people who laugh when awkward people say stupid things.”

Joan couldn’t help but smile. “It’s fine. Don’t mind me, I’m just frustrated.”

Zoey nodded and Joan had to admire her empathy, especially under these circumstances. “Where were you coming from?” Zoey inquired.

“London.”

Zoey tilted her head, interest apparently piqued. “Really? You dont have an accent!”

Joan laughed. “I’m not from there…I’m…just working there. I haven’t developed the accent yet.” She gestured at the laptop. “How about you? What are you working on?” She normally wasn’t one for small talk, especially with strangers. But there was literally nothing else to do at this point so why not? Besides, Zoey wasn’t the worst option on the plane. Not by a long shot.

Zoey blushed and placed her laptop on the tray-table. It was a fairly expensive model but a few years old and clearly well-loved. “I’m actually a student.” She admitted. “Senior at San Fran State. I was coming back from a semester abroad in Paris. I’m studying computer science with a minor in languages.”

“Really?” Joan found herself turning towards the young woman, actually interested. What were the odds? “What are you going to do with that?”

Zoey gestured at the computer. “I’m working on my thesis: a piece of software for instant translations on emails and instant messages. I’m starting with English to French but hopefully I’ll be able to expand it.”

Joan was intrigued. “Well…this may be your lucky day…” She smiled. “I work for Google.”

Zoey’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

The next two hours flew by. They talked about everything: job prospects at Google, the finer coding points of Zoey’s software, life in London, and dog breeds. For a time, they were both able to put aside the trepidation and frustration of the long wait inside the plane.

They only stopped when the captain turned on the intercom and the voice of the president filtered through the plane.

 “My fellow Americans…”

They listened in confusion at his words: talk of victims and brave Americans rescuing their fellow citizens. Joan bit her lip, worry starting to creep in. What had happened? From the sound of it, some kind of natural disaster or explosion. But there was no way to get information while they were stuck here. Her phone was dead and anyway, there was…no one to call.

Joan turned to Zoey and was startled to see the younger woman trembling.

“Hey…” She gently touched Zoey’s shoulder, unsure if the action was welcome. “Hey, you okay?”

The younger woman smiled in gratitude but it seemed forced. “Joan…I know we just met…but…” She swallowed hard, seeming like she was looking for words. “I just…I’m all alone and I dont know what’s happening and…”

Joan touched her shoulder once more. “It’s fine.” She assured her. “I’m…alone too. You can stick with me until we figure things out.”

Zoey seemed relieved.

***

Joan briefly lost track of Zoey during the madness of disembarkation. The younger woman had slipped back to her seat as they heard they were leaving, needing to grab her bag. For all the long hours they’d been stuck, once word came down that they were finally getting off, leaving took very little time.

Joan was ushered down the aisle before Zoey reappeared. They finally left their plane and were herded through the darkness into the airport.

Joan swore it was older than she was - probably a relic from the Cold War…or World War II. Thankfully, they didn’t spend long inside.

The local soldiers guided them towards a line of school buses; keeping some flights together and splitting others up indiscriminately.

Joan glanced around as she shuffled along, wondering where Zoey had gotten to. Wondering if the vibrant young coder had fallen out of her life already. It was a shame if she had…Joan had rather liked her.

She followed other passengers from her flight onto a bus and claimed a seat about halfway down. It was cramped and squeaky. But at least it wasn’t a plane. She sat there for 20 minutes, one hand on the other half of the seat in a halfhearted attempt to save it.

But just as every other seat on the bus filled up, a familiar redhead climbed aboard. Joan’s heart jumped.

“Zoey!” She stood and waved to her, guiding her towards the empty seat. “I thought we’d lost you.” She was very glad she hadn’t.

Zoey shook her head, clutching her bag in one hand and her laptop case in the other. “No…No I just needed to get an emergency prescription filled….” Her eyes widened and she shook her hands. “N…nothing serious! It’s not like…I’m going to go crazy because I…I’m off my meds…” The younger woman deflated slightly. “I…I’ll stop talking now…”

Joan chuckled. “It’s fine.” It was…kind of endearing actually.

Zoey settled next to her. “Did you find out about your husband?” She asked. “Was he flying today?”

Joan stiffened. “Do you mind if we just dont talk about that?” She had called Charlie moments after they first landed. The conversation had barely lasted a minute before her battery died. He was safe. And he didn’t seem to care about…whatever had happened or wherever she was. But Joan was more concerned with her utter lack of relief about that revelation. Maybe once she knew just what the hell was going on, she would actually feel glad that he was safe. But right now…

“How about you?” She asked Zoey, finding she was genuinely interested in her companion’s state. “Did you manage to get through to your family? In San Francisco?”

Zoey’s face fell. “No. The pay phones were all out of order…and no one had a cell phone…I just…I just wish we knew what was happening!”

Joan was filled with a resolve so intense that it erased all thoughts of her husband. “I know. I’m sorry.” She squeezed Zoey’s shoulder, utterly unconcerned at how quickly that action had become commonplace for them. “I’ll help you find a phone as soon as we get…” She glanced up, out the bus windows and into the darkness surrounding them. “Wherever we’re going…”

Zoey smiled in thanks. They didn’t say much for the rest of the bus ride. But neither did anyone else.

***

The bus took them to a school gymnasium. Hundreds of gym mats, air mattresses, and army cots had been laid out in long rows along the floor. Some had pillows or blankets but most did not. Joan was glad she’d grabbed her airplane blanket but this still looked terrible. Were they really going to be staying here overnight? Surely they could find a better hotel. She’d gladly share with Zoey if it got them both out of here.

A woman greeted them as they ambled in, identifying herself in a thick accent as Beulah, a staff member of the school. She directed them to grab a spot for themselves and that once they were settled, they could come back into the cafeteria and watch the news on several old television sets.

As eager as she was to know just why the hell they were here, Joan decided she’d rather have first pick of the beds.

Through it all, Zoey clung to Joan’s side. She took the air mattress next to Joan’s, tucking her computer between their beds. Joan waited for her while she carefully covered the case with her blanket.

Then they went into the cafeteria.

It seemed like everyone from their flight and beyond was there, crammed into the space, trying to get a glimpse.

Joan managed to push her way through to the front, Zoey trailing behind her.

Then they finally saw.

They all stood there in front of the TVs, taking it all in in stunned silence.

Smoke, steel, dust. A plane appearing out of nowhere and…

Joan couldn’t look away. She felt…lost, untethered. Any sense of safety she’d had the privilege of ignorance about was shattered forever.

The same footage was on an endless loop, like some kind of cruel flipbook. It should have been a movie. But it wasn’t.

When the first tower fell, a collective gasp went up around the room.

Without thinking, Joan reached for Zoey’s hand. The younger woman was pale and trembling but she gripped Joan’s hand so tightly she felt her tendons re-arrange. In that moment, Joan was so glad the coder had chosen to take Charlie’s seat.

This was a history-defining moment. And all they could do was assure the other that in this moment when they could do nothing, when they were stranded thousands of miles away from all the chaos and death, they were not alone.

Some time later, after someone had turned the news off in frustration, Zoey finally let go of Joan’s hand. She turned away and pushed her way out of the crowd, towards the hallway.

“Zoey?” Joan followed her, unwilling to let her out of her sight again.

She found her collapsed against the wall. The young woman looked shaken, like her world was crumbling.

Joan kneeled beside her and placed her hands on her shoulders. “Zoey, what is it?” She asked, as gently as she could.

Zoey shook her head and swallowed. “My…my brother, David…is in law school in Manhattan…” She looked up, face pale. “What…what if he was there?”

Joan didn’t have an answer for her.

Zoey looked down. She wasn’t crying, it was more like…helplessness. Or a despair so deep it had rendered her unable to move.

Watching her, Joan felt the true weight of their situation settle heavily on her shoulders. They were stuck here in wherever Newfoundland, while there…people were dead, people were dying, the wreckage was burning.

It could have been any of them.

She could have been in the towers, visiting on business like she had been a year ago. The terrorists could have hijacked their flight and flown it off-course. Zoey could have been in Manhattan, visiting her brother. Zoey’s brother could have been on the ground.

They couldn’t do anything…couldn’t call people, couldn’t go home, couldn’t seek revenge, or help the wounded.

Zoey gave a tiny sound, something like a gasp but fainter, more vulnerable.

Joan fixated on it. It was something. Something she could do.

Maybe if she could just help this poor girl find out about her brother, everything would somehow be okay.

***

Zoey barely slept.

It felt like every time she closed her eyes, she was seeing smoke engulfing New York City streets she had walked a mere year before. The sounds of people screaming and sirens blaring echoed in her head. The creaking of her air mattress sounded too similar to the crunch of concrete.

Finally, she gave up. Wrapping herself in Joan’s airplane blanket, she staggered towards the gym doors and forced one open. A blast of cool Canadian air whipped past her, bringing her body back here, back to this strange place. Far away from there. Far away from David.

Wherever he was.

Her lip trembled as she thought of him. When was the last time she’d called? The last time she’d said she loved him? When had she last heard him laugh? Why hadn’t she cherished those moments?

The cold had stopped helping.

Now it was inside her. It was consuming her.

***

As dawn broke, a woman named Annette brought Zoey a cup of coffee. She was sitting in a chair by the edge of the room, exhausted and still lost in horrible thoughts about David. Joan was nowhere in sight, having slipped out early in the morning for unknown reasons. Zoey missed her.

“Mornin’ hun.” Annette greeted, “you hungry? We got breakfast down in the cafeteria.”

Zoey shook her head. Her stomach was empty but the thought of food nauseated her. And the televisions were still on in the cafeteria.

“Well then, do you need to change?” Annette asked, “I can get you some clean clothes if you want.”

Zoey almost refused but then she realized that these were the same clothes she’d put on the day before yesterday, underwear and all. Suddenly, it felt like they were melding into her skin. She nodded and Annette patted her on the hand before getting up to grab her a change of clothes.

It was a relief she hadn’t known she needed. But at the same time, the strangeness of it just made her miss home even more. And think about how far away she was from David and from San Francisco.

Zoey had just finished putting on the fresh underwear, slightly too big jeans, and was pulling on a plaid shirt that clashed horribly with her hair when Joan finally returned.

The older woman cocked her head at the outfit but all she said was: “Is your hair different? You look good.”

Zoey chuckled, fingering the hasty ponytail. “Thanks. It’s just super unwashed…” She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling like a different person. “Are we leaving?”

Joan shrugged. “No one seems to know.” She was still wearing the same clothes from the plane and she was fiddling with something in her pocket. Her hair was also pulled back but into a severe bun that Zoey immediately envied. Zoey opened her mouth to tell her about the free clothes but Joan seemed preoccupied. She jerked her head towards the door Zoey had stood in front of the night before. “Zoey, come with me…”

Joan led her outside the building, one hand in her pocket, the other clutching Zoey’s tightly. Zoey followed, silent but alert.

As they stood in the chilly air, Joan finally pulled out her other hand.

A cell phone. A fancy, expensive, international phone.

Zoey gasped, eyes sliding from the device to Joan’s face.

“I finally got a chance to charge it.” Joan said, sounding apologetic. “I…I wanted to make sure you got to use it first, before I offer it to the others.” She held it out to Zoey. “Go on, check on your family. I’ll be just inside if you need me.”

Hands shaking, Zoey took the phone. Her stomach was in knots.

“Wait,” She called as Joan turned to go inside. “Stay? Please?”

Joan nodded. She took a few steps back, far enough to give Zoey some privacy but never letting her out of her sight.

Her heart thrumming, Zoey dialed the number.

***

Joan watched intently as the coder used her phone. Her eyes traced Zoey’s path as she spoke rapidly with someone on the other end. She folded her arms tightly as Zoey stopped pacing and her face pinched with sympathy as she saw the young woman place a hand over her chest.

After a few moments, Zoey hung up and made her way back to Joan.

She braced herself.

“He’s…he’s okay…” Zoey let out a shaky breath. “David he…he’s with my parents in San Francisco…he wasn’t in New York when it…” Her lip trembled, a single tear dripping down her face.

Unsure what else to do, Joan only held out her arms.

Zoey fell into her embrace, her small form shaking with relief as she sobbed.

***

The next two days were torturous.

There was nothing to do. Nothing but wait. Wait for a phone to be available in the hallway. Wait for the news to show the clips again. Wait for the word that they were leaving.

While knowing that her family was safe had taken some of the edge off, Zoey still found herself anxious, jumpy and unable to sleep. She stuck by Joan like a barnacle.

Joan seemed to notice and would try to distract her. On the second morning, after finally managing to stomach some food, they risked going outside for a walk and explored the town together. Joan had finally caved and accepted a gift of clothing from Annette. She was bundled up in a sweater that was far too large for her and jeans she constantly complained about. They talked more about Zoey’s thesis, about Joan’s favorite parts of London. Anything but the dark cloud hanging over the world.

For a brief moment, Zoey convinced her to open up about her husband and learned the sad truth: after 6 years of marriage, Joan was getting divorced.

Joan didn’t seem sad about it.

Some of the local kids invited them into a yard they passed and spent an hour playing with Zoey’s hair, putting her messy locks into braids and plaits. The youngest of them eventually convinced Joan to sit and receive a single sloppy braid. Zoey had to laugh at the ridiculous hairstyle. Joan did not take the braid out.

As they walked back to the school in the quickly dwindling sunlight, Zoey reached for Joan’s hand again. Joan took it without a second thought, her thumb rubbing Zoey’s hand soothingly.

It was a simple gesture. But to Zoey, it grounded her here.

She barely knew this woman. But she was here. And she was amazing. She’d spent all day just talking to her, distracting her from the horrible state of the world and the remote location they were stranded in.

Zoey hated to think that Joan would tire of her and leave her all alone again. She desperately tried to think of ways to pay the woman back for her attention and came up blank.

She didn’t want to be alone. And she didn’t want Joan to be alone.

But was that enough?

***

The following night, (after another day spent walking with Zoey, this time along the coast) Beulah invited them all down to the local Legion building for “some drinking and some fun.” Which was probably a good call: there had been several loud arguments over phones that day and even a brief fight between several of the passengers. Everyone was on edge and stuck in place. A little drinking could only help at this rate.

Joan wasn’t going to go; it didn’t feel right with everything that was happening. She didn’t want to celebrate: she’d finally decided that her marriage (it it had ever really been that) was over. She’d be going back to London alone if all this ever ended - to an empty flat and a demanding job and a cold bed. It felt wrong to be upset or even happy over such a thing when the world was still reeling from Tuesday.

But then Zoey piped up and said: “I’m only going if Joan is going!” and just like that, she was slipping on her borrowed shoes (heels only got a woman so far in this place) and following the crowd down towards the Legion building. As soon as she stepped inside, Joan knew it had been the right choice.

The night was insanity in the best way. Over 400 people from all over the world were celebrating together: drinking, dancing, even swimming in the river! And then the instruments came out.

Joan had never particularly cared for fiddles or accordions. But after two beers, she forgot that.

Lost with Zoey among the strangers from around the world, Joan forgot all about her aversion to dancing and her image: she tore up the dance floor with jig after mindless jig. Of course, the fact that Zoey was pulling her along and laughing and holding her hands certainly helped with that.

It was a new feeling for Joan: enjoying spending time with someone. And having someone enjoy spending time with her. Charlie had never seemed to care for their date nights, he more put up with them for the promise of sex.

But Zoey clearly enjoyed being here. And more importantly, she enjoyed being her with her. So Joan let loose.

As the night went on, the locals decided it was time for a ceremony.

“We needs a couple of volunteers!” Mayor Claude declared, “Who wants to be Newfoundlanders?”

Zoey snatched Joan’s arm and dragged her forward, not giving Joan enough time to bring her drink along. “Us!” Zoey cried, “we wanna be Newfoundlanders!!”

Joan, already a little tipsy and way too engaged in Zoey’s enthusiasm could only nod along.

Claude beamed at them. “Where are you two from?” He asked.

“California!” Zoey shouted, drowning out Joan’s murmured answer.

“What part of California are you from, ma’am?” Claude asked Joan.

“No! No!” Zoey waved her hands. “I’m from California.” She pointed at Joan. “She’s in England!”

Claude chuckled, “wait…now how does that work?”

“How does…what work?” Joan asked.

“Well how does your marriage work?” Claude inquired, “with one of you in California and the other in England?”

Zoey and Joan exchanged a quick glance, both of their faces red. Joan only just realized how close together they were standing. And in borrowed clothes and no makeup, the age difference between them seemed invisible to onlooking strangers.

“Uhhh...we’re, we’re not married…” Zoey told him. Joan was having trouble forming words.

Claude laughed again. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. “I thought you were…” He regarded them, seeming to read something in their embarrassed silence. “Well…” He raised an eyebrow at them, “would you like to be?”

Zoey’s face lit up. “Well why not?!” She cried. She seized Joan’s hand and lifted it up into the air. “Whoooooo!!!”

Logically, Joan knew it was the alcohol talking. Zoey herself had said earlier that she’d never had more than one beer at a time before and yet she’d watched the woman down two beers in quick succession that night.

Nevertheless, Joan, her face on fire and a stupid grin that she couldn’t justify on her face, went and got the woman two more beers.

The actual ceremony of becoming a Newfoundlander was a bizarre mix of local culture and sorority hazing.

Joan stuck by Zoey’s side as they sang a long upbeat song, tasted local food, and knocked back a horrific rum that burned her sinuses clean off.

But then came the cod.

It was a large, slimy thing that stared at them with big, dead eyes. Two local men were needed to hold it up.

And to Joan’s horror, the final part of becoming a Newfoundlander was kissing this dead fish.

“I’m not kissing a fish!” She declared.

“I will if you will!” Zoey promised, her face a pleasant shade of red from the alcohol. It was hard to dismiss that face. Joan eyed the thing distastefully as another volunteer puckered their lips and kissed the scales.

But they’d come this far…and it couldn’t be worse than kissing Charlie after sushi night, could it?

“Oh my god…” Closing her eyes, Joan pursed her lips and leaned forward. She pecked as soon as she felt something cool and slimy and darted back, retching.

It was worse. But only barely.

But when her turn came, Zoey balked. “I can’t do it!” She exclaimed, covering her face with her hands.

“Come on, I did it!” Joan protested, elbowing her forward. “Pucker up!”

“You gotta kiss a cod, it’s a vital part of the ceremony!” Claude insisted.

But Zoey backed off again, shaking her head and giggling. “I can’t do it!”

Claude chuckled. “Okay, I tell you what. I’ll make you a deal.” He pointed to the cod. “Either you kiss this fish…” His finger slid to Joan. “Or you kiss this English-woman that you’re ‘not married to’.”

Zoey didn’t even hesitate. In a single motion, she launched herself at the taller woman and wrapped an arm around her waist.

Startled, Joan could only catch her. Since she wasn’t wearing heels, their faces were mere inches apart. Zoey pressed forward. Their lips met and held in a glorious kiss. All around them, the room erupted in yips and cheers.

Zoey broke away after a second, grinning stupidly and completely red in the face. Then, as if nothing had happened, she grabbed Joan’s hand and pulled her back into the crowd of dancers.

Joan couldn’t stop looking at her the rest of the night.

***

The word finally came down early on Saturday: the FAA was going to open the airspace back up.

Captain Bass got in contact with their flight and informed them that they’d be leaving as soon as it was possible so they shouldn’t travel too far from their shelters.

Zoey managed to convince Joan to take one last walk with her. She’d heard about a nearby geologic marvel called the Dover Fault from Annette and thought it might be the perfect last hurrah.

They clambered up what felt like several thousand stairs carved into the cliff, panting and assuring the other that they were okay.

Finally, they crested the edge and gazed out from the overlook. The ocean crashed into the rocky inlet, scouring the ancient rocks.

“This is incredible!” Zoey called. She beckoned Joan forward. “Look! I can’t believe we’re here!” But as she stared at the gorgeous view, Zoey felt her smile start to slip away.

“I can’t believe we’re leaving…” She lamented. It all felt like a dream that was drawing to a close.

“…I don’t want to go…” Joan murmured.

Zoey turned back to her, “What did you say?”

Joan shook her head, smiling. “Oh nothing…I’m going to uh…” she held up her disposable camera that she’d purchased in town. “…to take some pictures.”

Zoey nodded. “O…okay.” She stood aside to give Joan a better shot.

She was a bit of a light-weight but Zoey remembered the night at the Legion in snatches: lively dances, delicious rum, and shouting that she wanted to be married to Joan. She remembered launching herself at Joan out of desperation to not kiss a slimy sea creature. She remembered her stomach and chest filling with fire as their lips met.

But Joan hadn’t said a word about it. Hadn’t even indicated that she remembered any of it. They continued with their walks and their discussions of technology and little things.

They didn’t talk about the kiss.

Zoey realized Joan was still pointing the camera towards her and took another step back. “No…stay where you are!” Joan called, eye still in her camera.

“Really? I’m blocking your shot!”

Joan smiled at her. “It’s perfect.”

The shutter clicked, capturing the moment in time.

Zoey felt like she should say something; tease Joan about her taking her photo or ask her if she had really meant what she’d said.

Staying here…it was a ridiculous idea. They were only here because of…because of the tragedy. They had lives of their own to get back to. But the more she thought about it, standing there on the chilly edge of a cliff on the edge of the Atlantic, going back to her life in California felt…empty.

Logically, she knew that once she was back she wouldn’t feel that way. Her family was there, and her friends, and her thesis that needed completion. There were things she loved and fulfilling work to occupy her time.

But Joan wouldn’t be there.

Zoey stared as Joan slowly lowered her camera, the device whirring to indicate it was out of film.

Joan would return to her incredible job in London, working long hours and finalizing her divorce. As the days returned to normal, she’d forget all about the redheaded college coder she’d briefly known in this place. Zoey knew she was unremarkable; a mere blip in Joan’s life. A chance encounter.

They stared at each other, standing on the edge of this chasm that marked a time when tectonic plates had unexpectedly crashed together and then separated forever.

Zoey never wanted this moment to end. If the world had stopped spinning right then and there, she would be happy.

***

They barely made it out before the hurricane made landfall. Pack-up was hasty and haphazard, with no one sure if they should keep the borrowed clothes and no one knowing how to thank the people of Gander for their incredible compassion and hospitality.

Joan and Zoey scribbled a hasty thank you across the wall closest to where their air mattresses had been. They wrote it in three languages: English, French, and binary code. Then it was back onto the buses and back to the ancient airport.

The winds were picking up and it had begun to rain as Captain Bass taxied the plane down the runway.

No one had cared about assigned seats for the flight back. Joan’s feet had followed Zoey into the Economy class and they had taken two seats in a row near the back. No one joined them in their row. Despite the utter lack of anything resembling personal space, Joan couldn’t have cared less. It was where Zoey was. And that was the only place she wanted to be.

As they picked up speed, Joan reached for Zoey’s hand but recoiled a second before she grabbed it. What was she doing? Trying to hold onto this moment? Trying to stop them from leaving?

It was too late now.

They were leaving. And she was going to return to a newly-empty life a continent and an ocean away from Zoey’s warmth and light.

The first hour of the flight was silent. Zoey kept opening her mouth like she wanted to say something but she never did. Joan didn’t know what to say. Or if she should say anything at all. Every possible thing she could say felt inadequate.

But as Captain Bass gleefully announced over the intercom that they had crossed back into US airspace, Joan glanced over at her companion. Zoey was crying, silently and intensely, as if she just couldn’t stop.

Joan immediately wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She leaned in, aiming for Zoey’s forehead to give her a comforting kiss.

But the plane jostled at the exact moment Zoey turned towards her.

Joan’s lips grazed the corner of Zoey’s mouth instead of her forehead.

Zoey gazed up at her, eyes wide and hopeful.

Her heart leaping, Joan shifted the angle of her mouth.

Their lips met again. And this time, they simply didn’t stop.

They kissed and canoodled for hours at the back of the plane. All around them, Joan was aware of cabin addresses and their fellow passengers drinking and sharing stories of their stay. But all she cared about was Zoey. Wrapping her arms around Zoey, playing with Zoey’s hair, kissing Zoey as often as she could. Zoey was real. These feelings were real. And like the Dover Fault, she would remain real no matter how long it was after they parted ways.

At one point, not long after Captain Bass had announced that they were now flying over California, a flight attendant paused alongside their seats, tongs ready to hand out hot towels.

“Cold towel?” She asked, smirking.

Blushing, Zoey hid her face in Joan’s neck. Joan couldn’t stop smiling.

***

But of course, they had to part ways.

There was a measure of relief among all of them as they safely touched down in LAX. If she was being honest, Zoey had been carrying a tiny knot of fear in her chest the whole flight home, a small part of her convinced their journey would end the same way as all that footage on the news.

But as soon as they were safely on the ground, that knot of fear became a hard ball of dread.

“So…” She faced Joan at the baggage claim, laptop clutched in one hand, the other hand clasped tightly in Joan’s. Zoey knew her family was anxiously waiting outside and that Joan had a connection to send her back across the Atlantic to London leaving soon.

But neither of them wanted to move.

“So…” Joan echoed, trying to smile but failing.

“So, you’ll call?” Zoey asked.

Joan squeezed her hand. “As soon as I get back.”

She leaned forward and pecked Zoey on the lips. Despite the hours of frantic making out they’d done on the plane and the drunken kiss at the Legion, it felt like their first kiss.

Joan smiled one last time and let go of Zoey’s hand.

And then Zoey was all alone.

***

Joan’s flight back to London passed like a dream. Since she’d been hastily rescheduled onto this flight (having missed her original days ago), she was stuck in Economy. And despite the fact that there were literally only six other people on the plane, she still was not permitted to move up to first class. But she hardly cared.

When she finally opened the door to her flat, she swore it had all been a dream.

Her belongings were still exactly as she’d left them, barely any dust to mark the passage of time.

So far away from New York, London bustled about as normal below her window, the fear still internal and existential for now.

But as she unpacked, Joan found the camera.

She dropped everything and ran out to find a 24-hour photo developer.

Within two hours, she held living proof that it wasn’t a dream.

Zoey, standing on the edge of the Dover Fault, her red hair flying in the ocean wind, her smile soft but fondly directed towards the lens.

Joan stroked the print, tears forming in the corner of her eyes.

The flat was so empty.

***

“Hi.”

“Hey”

“How are you?”

“Good…my advisor says if I can finish my report by the end of November, I can graduate as planned.”

“That’s great!”

Zoey paused, unsure what else to say. She would call just before bed, knowing that it was about the time Joan woke up. But life got in the way and the calls had dwindled from a few per week to one per week when they were lucky. And even then, their conversations, which had flowed so effortlessly in person, barely lasted an hour before one of them had to go.

Zoey had found it increasingly difficult to remain optimistic the past few months. Everyone was just so afraid all the time. David had transferred from Manhattan to a California law school, not wanting to be so far away anymore. He’d refused to fly and instead carpooled across the country with his girlfriend Emily. Her parents spoke in hushed voices when they thought she couldn’t hear and her father increasingly watched the news over anything else.

Zoey found herself crying more often and thinking increasingly about how lucky she’d been. But that was always quickly followed by guilt. How dare she celebrate finding Joan and a small bit of happiness in the chaos when so many people were dead?

And while she didn’t feel alone, Zoey still felt unsettled. She’d told her parents about Joan but they still didn’t seem to get it. They hadn’t been in Gander. They hadn’t known the feeling of being stranded and yet feeling at peace amid all the horrors.

“Zoey?” She hadn’t spoken in awhile.

“I…I miss you.” Zoey admitted, her voice small. “I miss Newfoundland. And I know…I know we cant go back but…”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. She couldn’t tell Joan how some nights she slipped out of her dorm room and walked to the pier just so she could close her eyes and imagine she was back in Gander, Joan’s hand in hers as they looked out over the ocean. She couldn’t say just how much she needed Joan here - as she had been at the beginning of this terrifying new world - to be at her side and talk to her, hold her hand and provide comfort in the darkness.

Joan listened intently, unsure if Zoey was crying or just at a loss for words. She wanted so badly to be there. Her life since Gander had been nothing but work. Endless hours at Google and a few spare hours with her lawyer. Her flat was starting to feel stifling.

She dreamed of Gander, of long walks with Zoey, of crashing continents and salty air. She longed for a warm embrace, for soft lips on hers. Her thoughts formed dangerous plans that had her terrified. Suddenly nothing of her old life made sense…and she cared nothing for it.

“J…Joan?”

Joan sighed down the line.

They couldn’t do this. It wasn’t going to work if they were a continent apart.

“Zoey…I’m going to move to San Francisco.” She said it softly, giving those dangerous plans more leverage.

Zoey’s breath caught. “Joan…”

She barreled on. “I applied for a transfer to the main Google office…don’t try to change my mind.” Joan beseeched her, knowing Zoey was about to protest. “The divorce papers are signed, my bags can be packed in a week. I’m coming to you. If you’ll have me.” Her voice was heavy with meaning. The kind of meaning that expected an answer.

Zoey let out a shaky exhale, clutching the phone cord tightly in her hand. “Yes. Yes Joan.”

***

 One year later

Joan gazed out over the bands of ancient rock. Now that she was really looking, she could see the bits and pieces that stood out: parts of another that had been left behind during an intimate collision.

“Remember the last time we were here?”

Joan turned to the voice, smiling. “Of course…” She wrapped her arm around the shorter woman, pulling her close as they stared over the Dover Fault. “I never wanted that moment to end.”

Zoey took her hand, finger rubbing the smooth plane of the brand new golden band around Joan’s finger.

“It didn’t.”

Because like the continents, when the world had crashed together in a moment of upheaval, they had found some small, beautiful thing to cherish from the chaos.

[rayj-drash]

Berlin Sketches pt 1

by T. Frank

My grandmother cannot fathom entering Germany. She was a child of the Great Depression and lived through the war safely from the Catskill Mountains of New York while her husband fixed radios on home turf. However, Germany represents a taboo in history for my grandparents as Jews. They would no sooner visit the Brandenberg Gate than they would try scuba diving without an oxygen tank.

 I constantly reflect on the trusted feeling of Home since I lived in Berlin for six weeks in fall of 2018. Previously, the longest trip I took was a ten-day tour of Israel through the organization Birthright: from the peak of a mountain overlooking three desert countries, to the crowded rush of the Jerusalem shuk, and my aversion to a display of American-Israeli nationalism on a military campus. The scenes and feelings form a whirlwind of hazy memories, much like any experience on new land. 

A few days after I arrived back in the Bay Area, I sat in Strawberry Creek Park watching the sun go down and the light blue sky grow faint as night approached, seeking those moments of "awe" that came so suddenly in Berlin. This bright green park reminded me of the open recreational space I loved over there, even though the grass was literally greener on this side of the pond!  I distinctly remember the moment when I scarcely had to look up at the street signs and felt like whichever path I took, I would find my way. Nevertheless, five months ago, I had sent in an application for an unusual art residency, an immersion into the study of grief. I reflected on those periods of my life that had led to some of my deepest creations. Drawings of cancer cells and lungs, struggles to breathe and heal in the midst of choking emotion, flowers and vines winding through the dark themes. I yearned to express my observations of the world through whatever moved me, again.

~~~~~

The journey to Berlin was a three-legged trip with two layovers, leaving Friday evening and arriving at 10:00PM on Saturday. A huge, crowded economy flight, cheap and minimal. I tried to rest as the crew turned off all lights on board. No sooner did I close my eyes than it seemed like the sun was creeping over the horizon, and we touched down to a windy, barren tarmac. It was 9:00AM, as all the passengers disembarked in Reykjavik, Iceland, we felt the chill burrowing through our thin layers and shivered.

On the second leg, as the plane glided to the lowlands, I appreciated the bucolic farmland. I was alone in the Copenhagen airport. The crowds in Reykjavik were more diverse, like a burgeoning metropolis.  By contrast, everyone arriving in this Danish terminal looked alike: tall, blond, and, permit me, Aryan. They traveled in clusters of family groups, chatting, gesturing, smiling. I dragged my suitcase past designer boutiques to a desolate, unfinished terminal, where passengers awaited their flights without customary notice; but learned to say, Takk, Danish for "Thank you". When I finally reached Germany, I connected to the U-bahn, the underground subway. The ride was over an hour long, and I gazed at the subterranean signage, lost once more. Until I arrived at Rathaus Neukölln, and my new roommate Shimon met me outside in the rain.

The next day, I left the mattress that our hostess Amelia had set up on the floor, staggering about with jet lag. Luckily there's oatmeal, my favorite companion. Shimon and his friend Devorah from Tel Aviv are home. We discuss the neighborhood. ‘What if I get terribly lost, not only physically, but mentally, too?’ I thought. ‘Is this a dream? Why am I so far from anyplace I know?’ Devorah suggested a walk to the canal, with a Sunday flea market. Late afternoon, I ventured outdoors and discovered a slice of paradise.

At the end of the block, a large mosaic mural adorned a staircase which I took to have the impression of a rooftop. A large concrete lot surrounded a beautiful community garden. Raised flower beds were home to a bounty of colorful flowers, tall green vegetables grew under the sunshine and painted poles flanked handmade structures. I spotted a concrete ping-pong table, and mustered up the courage to join two men playing. One of them wore a baseball cap with "Cal" emblazoned in blue and yellow; by chance, he attended law school at UC Berkeley, and lived several blocks away from me! After a few rounds of ping-pong, the Germans drank beer and suggested that I check out a nearby landmark before sunset.

Cheered, I walked along and found an "I Love SF" sweatshirt at a pop-up flea market. More surprises awaited. I heard music, and pushed aside brambles to emerge in Hasenheide Park, where a large circle of guitarists and drummers jammed for casual onlookers. I saw an ornate mosque with blue and gold trim, a wide courtyard, and an outdoor faucet for washing hands or drinking cool, crisp water. Next door was Tempelhof Field. A former airport utilized during World War Two to fly-in supplies from the West, the unused tarmac was reinvented as an open recreational wonderland. I entered the gates and was met with flocks of activity: bicyclists, joggers, even a pair doing synchronized roller-skating. Dry, dull grass covered the fields, but a victory garden shined under the setting sun, and the barista of an on-site cafe recommended finding a good perch. 

I joined two boys from Afghanistan, Hasan and Muhamed, watching the sky from tall ladder-seats. Muhamed and I grinned, struggling to hold a conversation between the lack of a common language. Google helped, but broken English got us farther. "Do you know there are still American police in my country?,” he exclaimed. My conscience bristling, I say that most people do not speak of the Afghan-American war anymore. The sun set in deep purple and vivid pink hues. Hasan saw my eyes light up at the sight of his bicycle, and offered me a ride--so, I sat sideways on the frame, clutching his black leather jacket, and answering "Ya" when asked, "Alles Gut?"until I grimaced from discomfort and Hasan laughed--"Kaput!" The two friends saw me off at a bus stop, and I stumbled on board as the passengers stared.

~~~~~

The following Monday, I walked twenty minutes from the apartment to arrive in front of a white-painted gallery, and no one around. Feeling nervous that the entire program was a hoax (just like my parents thought when they read the acceptance letter from the dubious-sounding organization),  I noticed a middle-aged man at a computer in the corner. I knocked on the window, and he let me inside. Here was a room devoid of decoration, save for a long rectangular table and six chairs, three of which were filled by women. Soon, another man entered the room and offered tea, introducing himself as our "mentor". We never referred to him by any name other than his own, even when I suggested “Alek”. He's over six feet tall, shaved head, and wore all black from his long-sleeved turtleneck to his sturdy dress shoes.

The participants introduced themselves. Sarah researched environmental grief, such as the devastation left behind from man-made disasters. Gwen studied grief theories in graduate school. Jasmine hoped to connect to refugees of war. And Sara--no error, there are two--prepared to make an installation honoring a departed friend. Linda would join us the following afternoon and plunge into an exploration of feeling othered through found objects. After we went over studio policies, we shared a bit on why we study grief, bringing several girls to tears. It felt like a group therapy session--and it wouldn't be the last. 

~~~~~

Dear Talya, Gone to synagogue. It's a short walk from the canal. I forget the street name-'Pflug'-something. Come join me for Yom Kippur services. Love, Devorah. Without consulting a map, I asked for directions from three different shopkeepers to find the synagogue. Luckily, they understood English and didn’t express unsavory reactions to my Jewish-ness. Once I found the path parallel to the Canal, the temple came into view: a large building curving around a tranquil block, with stained glass windows and a grand façade. Security officers were stationed outside, and I was screened before entering. "Are you Jewish?" they ask.. "Yes." Unmoved, they question, "Do you pray?" 

In August, I went to Washington, DC for my cousin’s wedding. Her family and friends are modern orthodox, or, religious. The day before the wedding, we were in shul for Shabbat services. During the long morning prayers, I read the English version of the Torah portion. The text alluded to the treatment of rape by virtue of marriage or the punishment of execution. By coincidence, this was the same chapter I studied for my Bat Mitzvah twelve years ago, but I must have been too young to grasp such explicit content. I left the room and spent the rest of services out in the hallway, tending to the potted plants as a distraction. 

Did I pray? Not willfully on that day in the synagogue. Internally, yes, throughout my life: the inner dialogue between my spirit and the spirit of a G-d. But in practice, only with family over Shabbat blessings. So I answered, "No. But my Israeli friend is in there, can I go in?" 

Yom Kippur services were surprisingly welcoming in Germany. Although the congregation was divided amongst the men and women, the dress code was more relaxed (jeans, white t-shirts), and several of the men held babies on their shoulders as the rabbi sang in Hebrew. I found Devorah and stood beside her. I recognized the somber prayer, "Avinu Malkeinu", and it felt no different than my family's congregation. The prayer books here were German on one side, and Hebrew on the other.

 After the ceremony, we passed by plenty of people enjoying the balmy weather at dusk. Devorah was reminded of holidays in her country, riding her bike freely while everyone took time off to relax. Shimon met us to break the fast with noodle phơ. I was lucky to connect with "my people", thousands of miles away from home. As a child, I remember feeling like my relatives’ religious differences divided us. However, my cultural upbringing is something I've retained and appreciate. Joining Israelis in Germany for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, was akin to sharing a secret amongst friends.

~~~~~

  As the weeks went by, I developed a habit of visiting the community garden, mornings before heading to the studio and nights on my way home. One weekend, I felt antsy as I read a book called The Truth Will Set You Free by Alice Miller. There was a campfire at the garden as they observed summer changing to chilly Autumn. I surveyed the party scene before resting into a corner of a homemade wooden bench under the dim glow from industrial lights around the lot.  Although the setting was not condusive to reading, I was shy to join the group. But, when I repositioned myself next to the fire, it was apparent that these young, hip, multinational guests preferred to speak in English. Rosa asked what I’m doing in Berlin. When I told her I’m studying grief, her voice got excited and she invited her friends into the conversation.

Annika was vivacious and full of life. I noticed her wisps of fuzzy blonde hair, bright in the glow of the fire. She was working on a memoir, and was also the subject of a photoshoot documenting her journey with cancer. As she spoke, I folded a paper crane and gave it to her, provoking a sense of delight. My idea for the residency then was to make a handmade book for participants to share their experiences of grief, and to make origami together. Annika agreed to be interviewed the following week.

~~~~~

I took the S-bahn, the above-ground trolley, several miles northwest where the buildings  are close to the city center. Annika told her story: how, at age 26, she discovered the cancer in her breast and rushed into several months of intensive treatment including antibody therapy, anti-hormone medicine, and chemotherapy. She ultimately received a double mastectomy and chose breast implants. For a month after surgery, Annika couldn't lift her arms over her head. It was painful, but her energy was focused on how to function normally again. Now, she was in recovery, undergoing radiation and daily physical therapy. She wholeheartedly embraced her body, and I felt a mixture of awe and love for her resilience and positive attitude.

I encouraged Annika to leave her mark in a communal scrapbook of stories. She drew a breast in pastel colors with words circling the nipple, such as "soft"-, "round"-, "hope"-, and "loss".- After I left the apartment, I boarded the train and closed my eyes. In the dark, I envisioned a bare, cream-colored orb, shiny and wet, like a peeled lychee fruit. Perhaps, I reasoned, this represented Annika's true self.

Back in the studio, I was at a loss to contribute during our group discussion. I almost broke down, overcome with emotions that arose from the interview. So I took a break from the sterile white walls, and sat under the chestnut tree in the courtyard. I picked up a spiny shell, cracked it open to reveal a creamy-brown belly. I wrote a meditation on the seed of the tree. I reflected on impermanence, on patience, on Annika taking her time to heal yet reveling in every healthy moment. I like taking my time.

"Hey Aleksander," I remarked in the midst of studio time, "Since the interview with Annika, I’ve been feeling down.” My mentor was sitting at a desk, drinking tea and writing in one of his many small notebooks. "Do you feel your own grief surface?," he replied. "No, more like I put myself in her shoes, and feel compassion." He advised, "Keep a journal--one just for yourself, your thoughts and daily experiences. And one for your work in the residency; write down everything you're thinking. It'll help, trust me."

----- Talia Frank lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. She contributes to the Donut Club, an East Bay writer’s group. Visiting Berlin in 2018 inspired a love of community gardens and allowed her to re-examine Judiasm within a global context.

Reach the author: tfrank@cca.edu 

Visual art: www.cargocollective.com/taliafrank

Blog: https://wanderlustblumen.wordpress.com

[rentacar2018-blog]

Cheap Rentals

Cheap Rentals

Sheppy's Auto Rental is the premier car rental service on Tobago. Additionally, Goldcar can provide your data to insurance companies for the management and processing of damages incurred during the rental period. To rent a car, you must have had a valid driver's license for one year, and be at least 20 years old. In the event of any dispute over this agreement, this Car Rental Agreement will be interpreted by the laws of the State of STATE, and any lawsuit or arbitration must discover this info here be brought in the COUNTY of the State of STATE. It was good value for money to rent a car through Guide to Iceland. You'll want to look for a rental car that can handle icy temperatures and easily get you around town. There's something for everyone in this bustling part of the UK and with a hire car you'll be able to head further out of the city to places like Dudley Zoological Gardens or Warwick Castle - a fabulously historic landmark located just a 40 minute drive away.

The friendly and helpful customer service, quality of the vehicle and cost made it an excellent customer experience. For the rental of specific car types the driver must be older than 25 years. It is possible to pick your car up in Keflavík and drop it off in Reykjavík, or vice versa, sometimes for an additional fee but some companies don't add any extra fee. Although they come with a unique set of risks, the roads in Iceland are perfectly safe to drive if you get more information act with care and good judgement, and know your limits. Age limit to rent a car with us is 19 years and the driver must have held a valid driving license for at least one year. When traveling for university business, rental vehicles may be used when it is in the best interest of the university. When using the approved Enterprise, National or Hertz codes for business travel, the vehicle is rented on behalf of UB, and CDW is included at no additional cost.

Wherever you are planning to go, with GLOBAL Rent-a-Car you will find the best rental car offer and rental location somewhere near you. If CERN offering does not fit the needs, this service is covering requests by using an external contractor for car rental. If you want to travel in style for work or pleasure, our exotic collection offers top-of-the-range luxury and sports cars from a range of prestigious brands. Don't rent rent a car Beograd a Ford Focus from the airport if flying into CHO - rent this car. The fine vision meter displays your fuel consumption, driving range and the temperature outside, plus you'll find a host of new technology as standard, including a Bluetooth® handsfree phone system, remote keyless entry and steering wheel controls Mitsubishi Lancer Hatch (or similar): For over 20 years Lancer has been one of Australia′s favourite cars.

Renter must provide to Owner with proof of insurance that would cover damage to the Rental Vehicle at the time this Car Rental Agreement is signed, as well as personal injury to the Renter, passengers in the Rented Vehicle, and other persons or property. Dooley Car Rentals do not accept Auto Rental Insurance Programs offered by European Banks and Credit card institutions and reserve the right to refuse third party insurers najam vozila sa vozacem details if not satisfied with the coverage on the rental vehicle. We offer an extensive fleet of premium rental cars in a range of styles. Most car rentals in Iceland are based in the capital city, Reykjavík, or by the international airport in Keflavík (a 40-minute drive away from Reykjavík). ACRISS works to ensure the provision of accurate information when booking Car Rental through electronic booking systems.

The unpredictable, extreme weather in Iceland can make driving even Highway 1 a challenging experience. Green Motion International Car Rental was awarded a National Gold for 2016. Renting a car can give you freedom and flexibility when you're traveling, and in some parts of the world it's the only feasible way to get around. CDW insurance is not included in the rate for personal rentals. najam vozila sa vozacem CDW coverage is included when car, minivan or SUV rentals are purchased with a university issued travel credit card. Book a rental car and embark on a journey of discovery, with Scandinavian countries such as Norway, Sweden and Finland awaiting you with a wide range of things to see and experience. Browse our huge range of compact passenger vehicles below to find the right car for you.

[infoaccurac]

Iceland Volcano Eruption!!! Look at the damage!

Iceland Volcano Eruption: A volcano near Iceland's capital city and primary airport has begun to erupt. According to the Icelandic Meteorological Office, the eruption is around 20 miles southwest of the city of Reykjavik, close to the Fagradalsfjall mountain. Molten lava is seen erupting from a small mountain fracture in a live video feed from the scene. The eruption comes after several days of minor tremors along a peninsula that is considered to be a seismic hotspot. A 500–750 metre long breach in the same region erupted in stunning lava jets in March of last year, and activity persisted into September. Although it was the first to occur in the region in at least 800 years, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are nothing new in the nation. The island has an eruption on average every four to five years and is situated atop a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic. Iceland's airline industry is on high alert due to recent volcanic activity near Keflavik Airport, which handles all international air traffic in the country. In order to prohibit aeroplanes from flying directly over the location, a "code red" has been issued; however, this may be lifted following additional research. It is recognised that Icelandic eruptions can have a negative impact on European aviation. When the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, it released clouds of ash and particles into the atmosphere that grounded flights between Europe and North America for several days. Millions of travellers were stranded as more than 100,000 planes were grounded. As of right now, no airline flights are being impacted, according to Iceland's national airport authority.

The Reykjanes peninsula in southwest Iceland contains the Krysuvik volcanic system, which includes Mount Fagradalsfjall. The most active number of volcanic systems in Europe is 32, and it is found in Iceland. On average, an eruption has occurred in the nation every five years. A rift in the ocean floor that separates the tectonic plates of Europe and North America runs across the large island near the Arctic Circle. In part, the movement of these plates is what causes Iceland to experience such high levels of volcanic activity. Every four to five years, Iceland, which is situated atop a volcanic hotspot in the North Atlantic, experiences an eruption. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano eruption in 2010 was the most upsetting recent event; it blasted clouds of ash and dust into the skies and halted air transport between Europe and North America for days due to worries the ash could harm jet engines. Millions of people were stranded because more than 100,000 flights were cancelled.

Volcanic eruptions in the past

The longest volcanic eruption to have occurred in Iceland in the past 50 years has been officially proclaimed to be over. Thousands of tourists came to see the spectacle and the lava flows. According to Brynds r Gsladóttir, a natural hazards expert at the Icelandic Meteorological Institute, "this eruption is now deemed over" because it has been three months since the last emission of lava (IMO). However, the organisation that keeps track of volcanic activity warned trekkers to exercise caution and said it will keep an eye on the area. On March 19, lava started to erupt near Mount Fagradalsfjall, which is located about 25 miles (40 km) south-west of the country's capital Reykjavik. However, this eruption, Iceland's sixth in the last 20 years, lasted six months and was the longest eruption ever recorded. On September 18, shortly after setting that record, the lava started to emerge. However, this didn't happen until more than 140 million cubic metres of magma had spilled into the valleys of Geldingadalur. The eruption, which was relatively simple to reach, developed into a significant tourist destination, drawing more than 350,000 tourists, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board. There could be more eruptions in the vicinity, according to experts. The IMO stated that "history teaches us that volcanic activity there occurs in cycles." After raising the eruption alert level to orange two weeks prior, the institute last week reduced the risk of an eruption of Grmsvötn, another Icelandic volcano. The most active volcano in Iceland, which erupts on average every five to ten years, is located in the island's centre beneath a massive glacier in a less travelled area. Also read: Pelosi arrives in Malaysia creates tension about a potential trip to Taiwan as No.1 priority Read the full article

[umichenginabroad]

Farewell Iceland!

Hi blog family,

After picking up a new iPhone to replace the one which tragically drowned in an Icelandic waterfall a few weeks ago, I am back to bring you the latest gossip on my final week in Iceland! Special thanks to my professors at Reykjavik University, Kári Halldórsson and Ágúst Valfells, for putting together two challenging and incredibly rewarding courses within a six-week period. In next week's blog, I plan to reflect on these classes in further detail should my readers be looking at this program for a future summer!

My second-to-last meal (can you hear the nostalgia in my voice already?) was at Skal, my favorite underrated food spot in the Hlemmur Bus Station Mess Hall. Below are some gorgeous baked beets with a cherry vinegar, walnut, and mascarpone garnish. I think the ingredients speak for themselves, but just to confirm your suspicions, this dish was amazing.

My last meal might have been even better than my second-to-last, if you can believe it. The API program farewell dinner was hosted at Reykjavik Kitchen, an upscale bistro with modern traditional Icelandic cuisine, and an excellent pick for a final meal with friends. Over three courses of lamb, cod (pictured below), and chocolate cake, we reminisced on the moments atop glaciers and waterfalls that we'd surely miss, as well as the coding assignments we might not miss (sorry Kári).

After dinner, the group headed out for a final night on Laugavegur Street, and soon enough, it was time to board the shuttle back to Keflavik Airport. Missing a good night's sleep was well worth spending my last hours with friends, and I couldn't imagine a better end to my time in Iceland.

Although my time with the IPE Blog crew is coming to a close, I'm not done yet!!! Check out my final installment next week for advice like "don't bring your phone into a waterfall", a review of my coursework, and some closing reflections on my experiences during the IPE Iceland program.

Until next time,

Charlie Cappelletti

Industrial & Operations Engineering

IPE Iceland

[asp1990]

Day 12: Monday July 4th, 2022 [REYKJAVIK]

Breakfast: Final danish and coffee from Pret A Manger Lunch: Ham and cheese baguette and a muesli slice Dinner: … KFC

Steps: 5, 309

I woke up early this morning so I could shower and finish packing. I also couldn’t sleep. I got up, had a shower, unloaded the washing machine and finished packing. The building manager came up at 7am to collect the keys and return our security deposit. I’d pre-booked an Uber to the Stansted airport for 7.45am, so we watched the news and then headed downstairs. The Uber was $150 AUD, which was $50 each – a bit expensive, but I was not about to cart my luggage through rush hour traffic on the bus and train for an hour. No way, Jose. Our Uber arrived bang on time, but because of rising COVID numbers, didn’t want anyone in the front seat, so we all had to squeeze into the back seat. It was a cozy 45 minutes.

We cruised through check in and customs (friendliest customs staff I’ve ever met – definitely fly through Stansted instead of Heathrow) and then spent 2 hours sitting in the airport, snacking on our final Pret A Manger for the trip, reading and doing the crossword. We caught a self-driving shuttle to our terminal and then waited 25 minutes to board. Once on board, we waited another half an hour to taxi out and take off.

The flight was very no-frills. No TV’s in the back of the seats, no pre-paid meals and no pillows or blankets. I busied myself listening to a podcast, reading my book and watching some Netflix that’d I’d downloaded onto my tablet. We landed at 2.45pm Iceland time and went through customs without anyone batting an eyelid. Someone checked my passport, but didn’t give a damn why I was visiting. We waited at baggage claim for 20 minutes before any bags even came out onto the belt and luckily ours were some of the first bags out.

I’d pre-booked a taxi, through Booking.com, to our accom and there was a nice man waiting at arrivals with my name on his phone. His name was Bjorn. He said that the company had said we wanted a pre-approved price, which I did not, so he just put the metre on and we saved 150,000KR, which was nice. It was a 40 minute drive from Keflavik airport into Reykjavik and he gave us heaps of useful information during our trip:

⁃ The population of Iceland is only 370k people ⁃ It is not customary to tip ⁃ There is free energy and no bottled water as springs are fresh and tasty (though it stinks like eggs every time you turn on the tap. Stupid sulfur) ⁃ It rains almost every day in Iceland ⁃ Families have different surnames - almost like McAllister in Scotland. Our driver had a different surname to his sisters as he was “son of” and they were “daughter of”. ⁃ Björn was a delight and picked us up in a Tesla -  he said that the government reduce tax on electric vehicles to encourage people to make the switch to ‘clean’ vehicles.

When we arrived at our accommodation, I pulled up the entry instructions from Booking.com and while the code worked… the keys weren’t in lockbox. We were stranded on the street trying to get hold of booking.com and they weren’t being helpful. While we were deciding what to do, we bumped into Nina Rossini, another Drama Vic person, randomly and she said we were right next to the theatre where the keynote was happening. Literally 2 doors down. What were the chances? We walked into the foyer with our bags and the conference staff were lovely and said we could go into the keynote and she’d store our bags. We had nothing else to do, so we went inside. I found it hard to listen to the keynote as I was stressed about accommodation and kept checking my phone to see if the guy had responded to my text. Some couple had brought two babies to the keynote who were crawling all over the stage, which was weird, but hey.

Things I learned from the Keynote: ⁃ Iceland drama teaching is often part time and lonely ⁃ Most teachers in Iceland have to teach another subject to fill out allotment (which is what Aussies have to do, but that doesn’t seem usual here) ⁃ I liked that there was a focus on having qualified teachers in drama not just anyone who had a gap in their timetable. ⁃ The student perspective at this woman’s school was that “the drama teacher is important”. How nice!

We then watched what we thought was a middle school media project about a rock travelling around Reykjavik but it was made by the conference director and the rock appeared in the theatre! We then had to pass a figurative rock around the room until we “all had drama on our hands”… lame! Then it was time to party! We had 3 wines in 20 minutes and the woman who was checking us in said she’d continue to look after our bags while we awaited our keys.

We got the keys about an hour later - thank goodness! Drama Vic mates: Jane, Danni and Nina came back to our house for drinks after we pinched a few bottles of wine and cans of beer from conference drinks and we all caught up about our trips so far. Our friend Zac had booked a dinner but we cancelled it so we could settle properly. Zac came over at 7pm and had a drink with us before driving us to the supermarket, then KFC then the Blue Lagoon. I had originally thought we had a booking for Wednesday, but I was wrong, so we all popped our bathers on and headed out.

The Blue Lagoon is a natural hot spring about 45 minutes from Reykjavik and 15 minutes from the airport. The sulphur smell was unreal, but the blue colour was even more surreal! We all had to shower before entering then waded into the lagoon and spent 75 minutes basking in the warmth. It was 9pm on a Monday when we arrived, so it wasn’t too crowded. We got a drink from the bar, took a few photos then waded around all of the separate areas. Tim went to the sauna and Amara, Zac and I stayed in the Lagoon.

It closed at 10pm, so we came out, showered again, visited the gift shop and then Zac drove us back to our accommodation. Tim was super relaxed after being in the sauna, but I was absolutely exhausted. I didn’t contribute to conversation much and just looked out the window – it was still bright at 11pm! It looked like 5pm. Bonkers.

We got back to our accom around 11.30pm. I pottered around, too tired to focus properly, but finally unpacked a wee bit, brushed my teeth and fell into bed. I put a show on my iPad, but turned it off about 5 minutes later as I was not paying attention. This is the most tired I’ve felt since my trip began! I hope my jetlag isn’t this bad when I get home!

It’s our first ‘proper’ day at the conference tomorrow! How exciting!

[sunshinekarliekloss]

Karlie Kloss Has a New Away Luggage Collection — and a ‘Hysterical’ In-flight Routine

The model and entrepreneur shares her travel habits, favorite destinations, and the inspiration for her Away x Kode With Klossy collection.

Karlie Kloss is the definition of a frequent flier these days: she feels like she spends more time with her suitcase than her loved ones. If you follow her on Instagram, you've probably seen her signature airport pose, lounging precariously atop baggage carts loaded with her Away luggage — and soon it'll be luggage of her own making.

Kloss is the latest in a creative line-up of collaborators for Away, which has recently worked with the likes of actress and producer Rashida Jones and travel photographer Gray Malin. Today, the limited-edition Away x Kode With Klossy collection drops with two new colors and designs. A portion of proceeds will support her nonprofit, Kode With Klossy, which she started four years ago to help teenage girls learn to code and inspire them to pursue careers in science and technology.

This year, the organization will bring two-week, tuition-free summer coding camps to 1,000 girls across the country. And I saw the effects of these camps firsthand: one of the KWK scholars I met at Wednesday night's launch event developed a gaming app that's in the App Store, and another is running the robotics team at her high school as a sophomore. Meanwhile, Away co-founder and CEO Steph Korey and I were low-key struggling to keep up with the (very basic) programming challenge we were working on.

For the collection, Kloss colored Away’s suitcase line, from the Kids' Carry-on to the Large checked bag, in “gigabyte green” and “pixel purple,” and designed a tech-friendly backpack and cube — in both nylon and vegan leather — from the ground up.

“I love having a backpack and this is the first time Away has introduced a backpack with a collection and we wanted it to really serve the needs of the Kode With Klossy girls,” Kloss said. “There’s a sleeve for a laptop, and we’ve got the cubes to keep your chargers organized inside. It slides perfectly onto your suitcase handle so you can run through the airport — because I’m always late, so I’m always running through the airport.”

That said, we've got more über-relatable travel talk from Kloss — who was mere hours off a flight from London when we spoke at the event — and some not-so-relatable, i.e. the sheer comedy of changing in an airplane bathroom when you're over six feet tall.

Travel + Leisure: Aside from your Away suitcase, of course, what are your travel essentials?

"Looking at my bag, I feel like I am just a road warrior. I am prepared for battle every time I go to the airport. If it’s an overnight flight, I’ve got my compression tights, my toothbrush, my face wipes, face cream. I’m basically Mary Poppins, with everything I could need at the ready in a little bag in my [carry-on] bag. I always have snacks. I’m a serious snack kind of girl. I never want to be on the road or backstage at a fashion show or stuck somewhere hungry. I’m always the friend you want to be traveling with because I have the snacks."

What sort of snacks?

"I always bring really good dark chocolate for that little pick-me-up when you need a sugar kick. I love bringing a good vegan protein bar or, if I can, I’ll bring a proper meal on a plane. I’m not a big fan of airplane food."

And what about your travel routines, what does an overnight flight look like for you?

"When I get on a flight the first thing I do is put on compression tights. With the amount of traveling that I do, if there’s any way to help with circulation, I'll do anything to stay as healthy as possible. So I put them on, which is always hysterical because the bathrooms are [so small], so like me putting on compression tights — I’m 6’ 2” — is a sight to be seen. But then I put on pajamas. I take off any makeup, put on my creams, brush my teeth, put my mouthguard in, and try to fall asleep as quickly as I can."

What's a trip you'd love to take?

"I’m dying to go to India. I just had dinner with my friend Jourdan Dunn and we’ve been talking about this trip that we’re going to take for years, and we just need to commit and book the tickets and make it happen. But just really a mind-body-spirit rejuvenating retreat and I’ve heard about a few different amazing places in India."

How about a place you could visit over and over again?

"I’ve been to Turks and Caicos many times, which is just like a wonderful, short flight down to the Caribbean. Or Iceland is also a less-than-five-hour flight from New York, and it’s like another planet. So that’s one of my favorite destinations. If you’re an outdoors kind of person there are so many things to do. I climbed a glacier and went in a natural geyser hot spring. There are these big lava fields just covered in moss and there’s this extreme nature. Just tour around the countryside and see everything there is to see. And skyr! Try skyr."

You’ve been a big supporter of Away for a while now, what made you want to work with the brand?

"Away is an incredible company and I’m so inspired by the founders and what they’re building. They’re really thinking about how to best serve modern travelers. And I’m somebody who travels with my suitcase every single day. I feel like I see my suitcase more often than I see my loved ones. It’s my travel companion. And I love being able to support the Kode With Klossy girls with this collaboration. Really, it was designed for them." (x)

[impressions-of-iceland]

Day 10 - July 2 Back to Reykjavik

We weren't in a rush this morning because we only had around a half-day of driving to the Happy Camper drop-off in Keflavik. We took photos of birds at the campground, which was a pleasant spot with a view of a green, wide valley. We left at around 10:30 for a leisurely drive taking more photos along the way.

We stopped at a very busy gas station in Bogarnes to fill the gas and look around the gift shop (I bought a knit hat 😉). We thought about getting lunch there, but opted to eat up more of our food supplies instead.

The final approach to Reykjavik was a dramatic road, on the south edge of the Akranes peninsula at the foot of a seaside mountain, then across a long bridge at the head of the Hvalfjör∂ur fjord. (On the map the approach to Reykjavik is shown as a tunnel, but I don't remember a tunnel.)

We dropped off the van at around 2:30 pm and were there for about an hour while we waited our turn to get checked out. Happy Campers gave us a ride to Blue Car Rental at Keflavik Airport. They had to switch out the car they initially gave us because the trunk opener switch didn't work. The car was a Kia Rio.

We arrived at Freyja Guesthouse after 5pm. We were initially puzzled about how to get into our room as the office was closed. In the end, we found a phone number on the door and we called to get the door code. Our keycards were inside. A beautiful sitting room and kitchen served the four rooms on the first floor. The large shared bathroom was great, with a big shower. We didn't have too many conflicts, but we could go upstairs to use that bathroom too.

We wandered around the downtown area: Hallgrímskirkja, the painted storefront of the excellent bakery Brau∂, down to the water's edge and the Sun Voyager sculpture (Solfar in Icelandic), Harpa concert hall, the rainbow-painted street. Then we headed back to "our" home area and dinner at Cafe Loki, traditional Icelandic food. We had fish of the day and plokkfiskur.

The Hallgrímskirkja bells rang every quarter hour during the day. It was only a couple of blocks away, so it was easy to keep track of time! If we lived there, it might get to be too much to hear the same tune all the time. On Sunday morning, the bells rang magnificently for several church services.

[mccannlovesdestinationcanada]

Can Tourism ‘Pledges’ Help Keep Tourists on Their Best Behaviour?

This is an article from 2019, but it’s definitely worth resurfacing as we emerge post-pandemic and amidst the looming climate crisis -- with travellers who are thinking more seriously about sustainable travel. Here’s an excerpt of the article:

Drink tap water. Stay on marked paths. Respect locals. Don’t feed the wildlife.

These are just a sample of the pledges that global destinations from Aspen to New Zealand are seeking from visitors, all in the name of easing the burden of mass tourism. Although the promises largely come without any enforcement tool, some experts believe they are valuable for setting expectations for travelers and spelling out the moral burden of tourism.

“I think there is, without a doubt, a strong and valuable education element,” says Gregory Miller, executive director of the Center for Responsible Travel. “Related to that is just a general awareness of the tremendous natural, cultural, historical values of a particular destination.”

Another element, Miller says, is “an important commitment — and that’s one of making choices and showing good behavior.”

Iceland — which has become a case study for the rapid rise of mass tourism — introduced the Icelandic Pledge in mid-2017, urging tourists to be responsible by heeding several rules. They include not venturing off roads, using designated campsites if staying outdoors, parking in approved areas and practicing safe selfies.

“I will take photos to die for, without dying for them,” one line says. Another gets down to business: “When nature calls, I won’t answer the call on nature.”

Sigridur Dogg Gudmundsdottir, public relations manager for Visit Iceland, says nearly 70,000 people have signed so far. They can do so online or at the airport, where they can press a button at a display and see the number of pledges increase in front of them.

“We’re trying to speak to the honor code in tourists that are coming to Iceland, and we don’t want to forbid too much,” she says. “We’d much rather send the message in a benign way and ask people to join us in this venture to be responsible and preserve the beautiful nature of Iceland.”

Other destinations followed, including Bend, Ore.; Big Sur, Calif.; the island of Hawaii with its Pono Pledge; and New Zealand with its Tiaki Promise. Finland introduced its Sustainable Finland Pledge last month. Aspen, Colo., launched its own pledge last year, and the Aspen Chamber Resort Association has tied it in to a campaign to “tag responsibly” by not using geotags on Instagram photos of sites that are at risk of becoming trampled by tourists.

Many of the pledges include common themes: treat the destination respectfully, don’t leave trash behind, stay on marked paths and sleep at official campsites. Safety over social media is another constant. (“I won’t risk life or limb [human or sapling] for more likes,” reads Bend’s pledge.) And some are extremely specific to their destinations. Hawaii’s Pono Pledge notes: “Molten lava will mesmerize me, but I will not disrupt its flow.”

Read the full article here.