Whale of a tale

Today was wet and windy so whale watching tours were cancelled but that didn't stop me from finding whales.

Well, I found plastic life size models at the whale museum! This was my all time favorite museum ever. Something about seeing their sizes in person made my jaw drop. I took my time reading through the information and listening to the audio tour. I had all the time in the world to sit and just soak it in! Did you know that some whales have a heart the size of a Volkswagen? With an aorta big enough for a human  to swim through? Or that they can live for up  to 200 years old (some species only make it to 27).

I have to say Reykjavik had some impressive museum technology. Interactive touch pads and more impressive virtual reality swimming with the whales!

My heart was filled today with whale facts.

I think the blurry whale photos make it look like I'm under the sea with them!

Tired legs :)

Day 2:

A quiet educational day, I spent the day visiting museums.  There really isn't any thrilling stories that transpired from  that. My brain was exploding by the end of the day and tired of reading.

Day 3 however, was a day filled with all of my favorite things. I had made up my mind I would try and go for a run. I would lock up half of my prized belongings and carry the rest. Oh, how much further you can get by running. I had a fantastic time running along the seawall this morning.

Then I headed out by ferry to a small uninhabited island just off the coast from Iceland.  It had the oldest building of Iceland on it but the rest was rugged wilderness. I got my fill of Icelandic  views walking along the  entire coastline. It was perfect. I wish I could find more of these nature walks accessible by public transit to explore.

My evening was quiet. Since I am finding Iceland quite expensive and have booked myself some adventure tours I tried to eat on a budget this evening. I filled my tummy  with carrots, cucumber, trail mix, and a travelling favorite... Ramen noodles. You can tell I am missing some key nutrients this evening.  Not going to lie... budget eating might not last that long as I lay here in bed I can hear my stomach growling angrily at me.

Insights from  my adventure  so far:
1) favorite thing about travelling alone is being on my own time schedule. Nobody cares what time I wake up, sleep, or eat. Plus there is no pressure of someone waiting for me if I want to take the extra few minutes to braid my hair in the morning. It's just me for 24 hours doing  what I want at my speed.

2) waiting for the bus/ ferry can  be quite relaxing if it doesn't matter what time I need to be some  place. I actually get to just sit, read, or people watch.

3) It's nice having this break from business to just be!

That's all for now! So far no craziness to report just a good ol vacation! Hope you all take a few minutes to relax today. I'm sure you all deserve  it.

The marathon called life

Well folks, I've brought the blog back again for another adventure. I like to be able to spend sometime at the end of the  day reflecting  on my adventures  and thought some people may be interested in  reading along.

I've  arrived in Iceland after a world wind of events. The last month has been busy to say the least. First, april marked the end of medical school electives. What a bizzarre feeling to walk out of a hospital and know Id be returning a doctor. Then, on may 1st I completed my first ever marathon with the help of my friend Laura of course. Only two days later I wrote my licensing exam.

If the first few days weren't busy enough I crammed the whole month full of adventure. First, an 11 day trip to Utah and Nevada national parks with Diana to explore arches, zion, canyon lands,  Bryce, capital reef and last but defiantly not least the grand Canyon. It was delightful we jammed 10-20 miles into every day. Between the marathon and hiking i lost two toenails and Diana got a blister (turns out that mught be the magic recipe for an adventure for us). I could not.have been happier everyday during the adventure... Turns  out I have a thing for canyons.

Upon arriving home I was able to celebrate graduation with my friends and family. 4 years of medical  school.... it's basically like finishing  a marathon. I cannot  express how lucky I have been to make the friends I have and to have had the support to get me to the point where I am at today. I'm grateful and have not taken that process for granted.

So as you might be able to see why my first day in Reykjavik  has been dedicated to we'll deserved rest and relaxation. It involved several hours of walking and exploring the city before I joined a gal from my hostel at the cities geothermal baths to sit and float. What a treat.

Day one a success. Cannot wait to see what day two has in store.

Canyon lands