I had the privilege of kicking off Summer 2019 with my good friend Jonathan on an 8-day road trip around Iceland’s Ring Road. We’re both no-frills, DIY travelers with a penchant for hiking, so we aimed for an itinerary that combined well-known landmarks with opportunities to go off the beaten path.
Traveling around Iceland is like moving through a postcard, with breathtaking landscapes around every corner. It was also fun to experience the dramatic shifts in topography and climate across the country’s various regions, which included driving through the winding roads of eastern Iceland’s fjords during a mild snowstorm.
Iceland gave me a renewed reverence for the powerful forces of nature that shape our planet, and for how the same fundamental elements — earth, wind, water, and fire — have forged themselves into endless variations of grandeur.
And from conversations with fellow travelers and new Icelander friends, I was also reminded that while our planet is grand, it is also small; that our commonalities are far greater than our differences; and that together, we have what it takes to build a better future.
Tim Lau 