Of Iceland & Homeland

The journey has to end somewhere, doesn't it? Across London we trekked one last time.

Sitting awkwardly with our packs half-on-half-off on that last train seat feels like yesterday. I remember thinking, "Oh my goodness! We both still have our passports, tickets, and valuables!" The train rattled on the track, and I got a little sentimental and misty-eyed (as per usual): first, we'd happily survived! And second, we were going home changed and overwhelmingly thankful; a 'valuable' far more precious than any material object that we'd managed to keep track of.

The journey's end took us to one last country on our trip home: Iceland. It was stunning, wet, and cold--very cold. We had a 24-hour layover and considered hanging our hammock in a couple trees nearby the quiet airport, but as we flew into Keflavik, we were reminded that Iceland had no trees. None. As far as we could see, there was only the rugged shoreline and course grasses. (Well, there were a few scrubby pines that had been planted, but Amanda convinced me that it wasn't worth the effort and potential frost-bite--she was right, of course!) We joined a small group of travelers, who also had no place to go, and spent our first night on an airport floor. ;)

Achy, exhausted, but oh-so-excited, we woke the next morning. Home was less than 24 hours away! We took advantage of our day in Iceland and went into Keflavik city to explore the pier, cliffs, and shops. Unfortunately, we were soaked through (icy rain) before 9 a.m., so a quiet, cozy coffee shop became our haven for the rest of the morning.

Then we caught the last bus of our one-month journey. It was truly a glorious moment.

Before we knew it, we were systematically checking our bags, finding our gate, and boarding our plane. Our last plane--taking us home to Minnesota where our hearts were ready to be once again.

Iceland: October 5-6

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   Thank you for following this small part of our journey! It's been a joy to share bits and pieces of our Europe venture. Traveling is humbling and 'nitty gritty,' often, and it was my goal to shed light on that reality (I trust that I didn't shattered too many adventure 'castles in the air' ;)). 
Though exciting, ultimately, this place is not our home, and I pray that we may all joyfully set our hearts on the adventure of seeking His everlasting Kingdom above all else. 
     Many blessings, 
              LeAnna