Iceland: The Best, Yet Also The Worst Trip Of My Life
Aaya Anan
Iceland was at the top of my bucket list when it came to countries I wanted to visit. But my commute to Iceland wasn't exactly what I expected...
I was living in Florence when I decided I want to go to Iceland. However, there are no direct flights to Iceland from Florence. Alternatively, I found cheap direct flight tickets from Milan. I booked the plane tickets and also the train tickets to get me from Florence to Milan. So problem solved right? Well, nope. I booked everything for April 14th. The night of April 13th comes along and I get an email, in Italian, that my train from Florence to Milan is canceled due to a train strike and there will be no trains running that day. No worries, I can find a bus to take me to the Milan airport, right? Nope. Apparently the train strikes in Italy are advertised beforehand so everyone knew about it except me. Meaning, all the direct bus tickets from Florence to Milan airport are completely booked. I thought maybe I could take a taxi to Milan? However, seeing the $600 price tag made my broke college student soul hurt. That left me one last option: take a 6 hour bus to a random suburb of Milan and then figure out how to get to the airport from there. I book the bus ride but it departs at 5:00am and the bus stop is a 30 minute drive from where I live. And Italians work reasonable hours which means finding a taxi at 4:00am wasn't exactly easy. I ended up finding a taxi after some time.
I make it to the bus stop but had trouble figuring out which bus is mine because they were all poorly labeled. It's okay, I can just ask someone right? Unfortunately, no. There was a language barrier; everyone could only speak Italian. Which honestly I don't have a right to complain; I am in THEIR country, I should be speaking THEIR language. I knew this before coming to Italy, which is why I was taking Italian classes, but have never really experienced the language barrier because I lived in the city center of Florence, which is very touristy, meaning everyone spoke English, meaning I never really got the opportunity to practice my Italian. Anyway, since the bus stop was in a suburb my Italian was put to the test, and luckily I ended up finding my bus.
After the 6 hour bus ride, I got off and found a train to the Milan airport and got on it. I finally made it to the airport! I was so excited to go to Iceland. I had a northern lights tour booked for that night. I sat in the airport McDonald's waiting for boarding to start. But then, I get an email notification that my flight was canceled. Not going to lie, after reading this I found a nice comfortable corner of the airport and cried. And then told myself, absolutely not. After all this, I can't give up here. I need to make it to Iceland. I go to the ticket counter and ask for the next flight to Iceland. There was one that left later that night but it had a tight layover in Frankfurt and was also with a different airline meaning I had to pay for it with my own money. And booking a flight just hours before the flight isn't cheap. But I was determined to make it to Iceland, so I bought the ticket. I was sad I was going to miss my northern lights tour though.
I get on the flight to Frankfurt, and luckily I also make my tight connection to Iceland. I am finally on the flight to Iceland, and sleeping after a long stressful travel day. And then, the pilot makes an announcement that wakes me up. I wake up, annoyed. But then I listen to the announcement: "Look outside the window! It's the northern lights!" I look outside the window and see the most beautiful sight: the sky is painted green. It was like a reward for arriving in Iceland after my commute from hell. The scene was straight out of a movie.
The next morning I wake up and have the best day ever. Literally my time exploring Iceland couldn't have been better. I did a Golden Circle tour and met so many new friends. We went to Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Strokkur, Gulfoss Waterfall, and Blue lagoon. I also explored Reykjavik and loved the town so much. Iceland is one of the most beautiful places I have ever step foot in.
It came time to go back home to Florence and I was so sad to leave. I wished I could stay in Iceland for longer. Unfortunately, my wish came true. I checked my email, and yeah you guessed it... my flight home got canceled. Luckily I got the email before I made the trek to the airport. Although I was a little stressed to be missing school, I decided not to be too upset about the canceled flight. I booked an extra night at my accommodation and embraced the extra day in Iceland. However, Reykjavik (where I was located) was hit with a very heavy windstorm which made it hard to even walk outside. I tried to take my journal outside and write by the waterfront but my journal kept flying away and I had to chase it to get it back. I decided to spend my day inside, admiring the views from a rooftop restaurant. All in all, it was a pretty good day.
The next day, I wake up and am excited to go home to Florence. I arrive at the airport and was so anxious the entire time because I thought my flight would get canceled again. To my surprise, it came time to actually board the flight. We were standing in the connecter between the airport and the airplane but we weren't moving. 5 minutes turned into 10 minutes and 10 minutes turned into an hour of waiting in the connector. Then, the airline staff came and announced that they are canceling the flight, due to crew issues. I was devastated. At this point I just accepted the fact that I am never going home and imagining my new life in Iceland.
The airline put all of us on the canceled flight in a hotel and promised us the plane will take off the next morning. The next morning came along, and against all odds the plane actually took off and I made it back to Milan. And there was no train strike that day so I easily took the train from Milan to Florence and made it back home. After I arrived home, I submitted a claim with the airline and complained to anyone who would listen about my horrible experience. The airline ended up awarding me compensation of 400 euros per canceled flight. So honestly I forgive them.
Now, this all makes sense why this was the worst trip of my life but why do I also consider it the best trip? When people say what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, they aren't lying. I don't think I have ever learned more about myself than I did on my trip to Iceland. This experience was a test of patience and problem-solving skills. It's taught me the importance of resilience, adaptability, and embracing the unexpected. Despite numerous setbacks, including canceled trains, language barriers, and flight cancellations, my determination never wavered. I learned to think on my feet, find alternative solutions, and navigate through challenging situations.
In the end, the hardships were overshadowed by the incredible experiences I had in Iceland. From witnessing the breathtaking northern lights to exploring the wonders of Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, Strokkur, Gulfoss Waterfall, and the Blue Lagoon, every moment was a testament to the beauty of the world. I cherished the friendships formed and fell in love with the captivating charm of Reykjavik. This journey has instilled in me a profound appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit, the wonders that await beyond our comfort zones, the power of embracing unforeseen circumstances with a positive mindset, and appreciating the unexpected moments that make travel truly transformative. Also, I learned to never fly with Wizz Air, no matter how cheap the ticket is.
