Going on your dream vacation isn’t without issues. If the destination was exactly like home there would be no point in going at all. So what will I miss and what will I not miss when I go to Iceland?
I’ll miss:
Trees: I make a lot of jokes about the North American slash and burn style of urban sprawl but there are a few trees here if you know where to look and a lot of trees beyond the city. Iceland has a tree deficit but they cherish the trees they do have. I’ll notice the lack of trees.
My kids: I would love to take my children with me but this first trip will be short and very low budget. I do hope to take them with me on the next trip
Not much else: You don’t know what you’ll miss until you are gone.
I’ll Not miss:
Automatic transmissions and intersection creep: Between automatics (slushboxes) and that irritating creep that is common it will be a pleasure knowing that most folks either drive a stick or at least learned on one. I believe you drive better when you must pay some attention to the gearing and less to phones, food, and foolishness.
The heat and stagnant air: When it gets hot here it gets miserable. There is a very noticeable increase in the number of hot days and the awful feel of the air over the last few years. It will be refreshing to feel much cooler temperatures and some of the cleanest air on the planet.
Water with a taste unlike water: One of the things I’ll very much enjoy in Iceland is being able to drink the tap water without fear or disgust. The water here is promised to be safe but I also expect water to be just water. And swimming, that same pure water is in the outdoor pools in Iceland and that will be a pleasure. Note to self, a sulphur smell is apparent in the naturally heated hot water so get used to it.
The song remains the same, big box stores: We have lost and continue to loose the sense of community and the uniqueness of the corner bakery. I get little comfort knowing that the big box store and fast food joint in one place is exactly the same as the next one. Just because I’ll have trouble pronouncing the name and knowing right away what I want to eat I’ll take comfort in the small town feeling I think I’ll get from most places in Iceland.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:59 am
sorry to say that the prevalence of stick-shift cars does not mean that Icelanders do not drive on the phone all the time. They have just mastered the phone-in-the-right-hand crossover-shifting technique, even though it is supposed to be illegal to talk on the phone and drive.
as for eating, I think the reason they might not eat as much while driving is just because on the average day most Icelanders drive shorter trips than Americans, so there is less of a need to eat in the car. They still do it though.
October 9th, 2007 at 8:28 am
LOL, the picture you’ve painted in my head was indeed frightening. But with the slushbox we go a step further by using both hands for things other than driving. I could give stories of things I see every day but you can imagine. Your other point is what I’m attracted to, driving fewer kilometers in the first place. I know that Icelanders are perhaps no more sophisticated behind the wheel and they have some crazy habits such as parking styles but if I can walk to the corner bakery I’m half way to my zen.
All things are relative and I’m sure that grandmas the world over say the same thing about all this progress, ‘well back in my day…..’ I’m ready for Iceland. I want to see Iceland. I want to be in Iceland.