Despite a somewhat tumultuous start to my visit to Reykjavik (namely wind and rain and a missing hotel where I felt like a cartoon character about to blow off the ground if it were not for the fact that my luggage keeping me grounded – which has nearly doubled in weight since I first left on this trip), I am proud to say that within a matter of hours, Iceland has won me over!

I´m only here now because it´s the last stop over on my way home, so it was super exciting to see all the wonderful stuff happening right here, right now (and unfortunately how much I am going to miss due to my 24 hour whirlwind that involves too much time on a bus between downtown and the airport):

• The Grapevine – free English newspaper and city guide (I bought their Insider book too which I´m super excited to check out for my next visit)
• Iceland Airwaves – citywide music festival featuring all styles of music in museums and bars, and even at the Blue Lagoon (great DJ at the thermal pools = how cool!) {image above via Iceland Airwaves}
• Sequences: Real Time Art Festival – time based art in unconventional places (love the poster for this which I will try to upload if I can find it)
• Reykjavik International Film Festival – (this just ended)
  

So sad for this amazing adventure to be over, but I feel it getting closer to being time to come home. I look forward to seeing friends and having my things all in one place, but most importantly I´m looking forward to American toilet paper (I cannot for the life of me figure out the world´s obsession with sandpaper). My feet and legs are getting near to the point of pain of how I felt after my half-marathon when my knees gave out, but still I prod on, and at the end of the day it´s totally worth it. I´m not trying to see everything in the guide books; I´m trying to experience the place.