One winter, in the middle of December, I visited Iceland for 10 days. A friend of mine, who was living and working in Europe at the time, decided to join me. We started in Reykjavik, rented a car, and decided to drive around the entire country. However, the roads were entirely covered in ice. After a few days, the roads were closed and impossible to use. We saw random caves on a black sand beach, stayed in a town (Vík) with a population of 300, and saw more geological diversity than I knew was possible. I’m convinced Iceland is the closest thing Earth has to being like another planet: it’s possible to see volcanic ash, Europe’s largest glacier, and green moss all at the same time.
I would love to return and see what the beautiful landscape is like in the summer. Iceland’s progressive culture and interest in design motivated me to later visit other Nordic countries.