This past weekend the Viking and I had big plans, it involved his new camera and black sand beaches. Sounds dreamy right? Don’t be confused, the black sand beach that we planned on visiting would not require a bathing suit, instead it is more of a bring a parka kinda beach, but still it was going to be a fun day at the beach.
That is until a rain storm arrived on Saturday morning and changed our weekend adventure plans. Rain in Iceland, this is nothing new, but when you mix the rain in with the Icelandic wind, well no adventuring is fun out in that mess.
Nothing like a little bit of rain to clear out a beach am I right.
So our weekend adventure, it was a bit of a fail, but that is just how it goes sometimes. Instead of continuing on our adventure in the rain we came home and I took a two hour nap, it was glorious. While my nap was amazing my post idea for today sharing the area we were attempting to explore kinda went out the window, that post will just have to wait for a less stormy day.
Instead, how about a little ramble of a post to fill you guys in on some life happens around here lately?! Pictures of our failed weekend adventure included, even on a stormy day Iceland is beautiful.
Marathon Training | In less than two weeks I will be running the NYC marathon. Ahhh all the feelings, I am excited, nervous, stressed, anxious all at once when I think of this race. Once thing I can’t wait for to be done though, the training. The training for this marathon, it has been rough, mentally, physically, emotional, just rough.
Last weekend I did my last long run, 20 miles in the rain and wind, and I will fully admit I cried that last mile. I was just so done and tired of running hours in terrible weather. For two months every Saturday has involved a two plus hour run, and every Saturday at some point on these runs a rain storm hits. It has been challenging to say the least.
But, I am so close to getting to cross the NYC marathon off my bucket list, so very close I can just picture that finish line! And, if anything, at least all that crazy weather has prepared me for anything on race day. Now, my next concern, figuring out the NYC subway so I can make it to the ferry terminal on time for the ferry to take me to the start line on Staten Island!
DC/NYC Recommendations???| Before H and I head to NYC we will be spending two days in DC. To be honest I think we are both more excited about DC than NYC, it is a place we both have always wanted to visit. Sadly we only have two days in DC, I already know I am going to want more time there! So dear readers, any recommendation on what must dos and eats the Viking and I should do during our short stay in DC we would love to hear?? And if you have some NYC recommendations I would love to hear those too!
The Viking’s Birthday Trip | I haven’t mentioned this here on the blog yet but this past summer I surprised H with a skydiving trip for his birthday. Well, long story short the skydiving never happened after the company fell through several times.
It was really disappointing but I tried to redeem my gift plan when we were in Prague. Well guess what, that plan, and two other plans I had for H’s birthday fell through, so basically all my “adventure gifts” (H and I are big fans of giving gifts of experiences not things, which is why for his birthday I was trying and failing to plan thee adventure gifts) I got him were a big fail, awesome.
But, I now have a successful plan, you know four months later but who is counting. We are going to Scotland!
Originally H and I talked about going to Scotland last year for his birthday (his birthday is in June) but it never happened. So, this May, almost a year later ( better late than never right?) we will heading to Scotland to finally celebrate H’s birthday, just a few weeks before his next one ha. Both of us have Scotland high on our travel bucket list and are super excited about the trip, something to look forward to during the long winter we are about to endure!
Icelandic | Now that I have been in Iceland for two years I am starting to feel really guilty about my lack of Icelandic skills. I am quite proud of myself for how much of a conversation I can follow, but I really need to step up my game of actually speaking Icelandic. The problem is, I have little motivation to actually practice. When I come home from work the idea of going to study Icelandic, well it just sounds as appealing as doing laundry. I really need to find a way to make learning Icelandic not feel like a chore at the end of the day. Any tips from my fellow language learners?
Staying Connected With Loved Ones Back Home | The other day I read this post from Belinda with 7 tips for new expats. One of her tips was on how to stay connected with those back home while balancing a new life abroad. This point really hit home with me, even though I have been an expat for two years, I feel like this is something I wished I would have done differently when I first moved to Iceland.
Those first few months in Iceland were full of new changes and challenges. I was so focused on making a new life in Iceland that I know I didn’t put in as much of an effort to stay in touch with my loved ones back home. This happens from time to time, life changes and gets busy, people drift apart, its all part of life.
But now that I am more settled into life in Iceland I want to focus on taking the time to connect with those I love back at home. It always makes me so happy to talk to them, I need to make it a priority to do it more even if the different time zones make it hard. To my fellow expats, how do you stay connected with those back home?
The Blacklist| I may be a bit late to the game on this show on Netflix but oh my goodness I am hooked! It has been a long time since I have watched a show that held my attention the entire time. With Blacklist I think half the time my mouth is open in shock, I just love the fast pace of the show. If you are in need of a new show to binge watch on a rainy weekend checkout The Blacklist, H and I are hooked!
In other Kaelene news, this past weekend I was trying to run up the sand to get out of the wind quickly, it wasn’t graceful.
H loves capturing me at my best.
Two Year Expativersary Celebrations | Even though our weekend adventure was a fail there has been lots of celebrating around here for my two year exaptiversary. From pretty flowers from my Viking to fun dinners out it has been a week full of celebrating. I encourage all my fellow expats to celebrate their exativersary’s no matter how many years you have been living abroad. It is such a good time to reflect back on how you have grown, H and I have been sharing stories about it all week and I am amazed and proud of myself for all the ways I have grown since moving here two years ago.
One thing is certain, us expats, we are pretty awesome, and I encourage everyone pondering a move abroad to take the jump, it will be hard, but it will be worth it!
Other life happenings, work has been crazy busy, the days are quickly getting shorter (the sun isn’t rising until after 8am now!) and I am already writing out my shopping list for our trip to the states next week, it mostly involves seasonal food items I need pumpkin in my life!
That is all from Iceland, maybe next weekend our adventure won’t get rained out, or snowed out, in Iceland you never know!
Question of the Day?
What is happening in your life lately? Have you ever had a trip affected by the weather?
