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insight fiftyfive
For 5 days of this week I travelled around Iceland, exploring and conquering fears whilst admiring the picturesque scenery. I also kept a diary and here it is...

day one - 16.10.17

8am and the coach is packed, music blares from tangled headphones and happy children excite over the upcoming "fieldtrip" to the small cold country of Iceland. not caring about the lengthy travel ahead, Leah and i sang a duet from High School musical and consumed sugary delights to the point of a dancing high. Airport looming over head, the constant chatter and security guards made the mood less enjoyable. seated on the plane with a chicken wrap and coffee in hand, the houses disappeared into a satisfying cloudy mess that rose above any problems left behind. storm brewing behind, other flights are cancelled to areas affected, luckily we flew right into the cold winds of Iceland without any issues expect only finding the colouring books 10 minutes before landing. after a tiresome journey through the rocky terrain of lava filled Iceland, we climbed and crawled through metres of dark caves that presented us with the silence of wind and children. tears of joy or fear flowed as we raced to the warm coach, leaving the sunset skies and sweaty helmets behind. normal clothes changed and meal time closing in, our room is left in a dark mess as we feast on soup, rice, salad and vegetable fritters. glancing over at him, he catches me and smiles, and within that moment i know what's happening with in my mind. just before i closed my exhausted eyes, we laughed at the hidden faces and talked to our far away friends back in stormy England. tucked in and unpacked, the Hotel Ork rested us well upon the sunrise of a new day of adventure.

 - 2972 steps = 2.6 miles

day two - 17.10.17

risen by noisy buzzed from a bedside table, we dressed, packed and stood like soldiers beside our stripped beds whilst a teacher inspected ever corner of the once messy bedroom. breakfast is served a plate or two of fruit and pancakes is mixed with 3 cups of strong coffee to redeem the lost sleep from an early mornings rest. another dance, duet and giggle with Leah continued throughout the journey to our first waterfall and a tall slippery climb to the rear cave of it too! photos taken and coat dried, we head off into the diverse landscape in search of our next waterfall, the rainbow creator. many steps fall behind us as our thighs burn with exhaustion, the top merely a blurry race away. spraying water splashing our warm faces, phones click photos of the beautiful scenery we are greeted by, the many waterfalls leading to the large flat sheet of water that cascades down the rock side. sun gleaming over our heads, rainbows form throughout the water droplets and create a picture perfect image uncaptured by anything but the eye and the memories of those stood within the boulders and puddles. another coach ride looms ahead of us as we speed down the longest road i have ever scene towards the glacier 1 hour away that prepares for us to walk on. getting off the coach, grouping and standing ready for collect our gear all seemed so normal until you stood an inch from my chest and comparing your hands to mine, your warmth literally melting my heart until i was as warm as your hands. your sweet smile beamed at me as i made a stupid joke about god knows what, that look you gave me was what started all this. you made me fall for you, i think, but who knows. collecting my crampons, harness and helmet, we stood struggling to tighten and tuck our harnesses onto our already tired legs. your tall body wrapped around mine as you helped with hesitation as i struggled to tighten the straps. after departing to the glacier, i felt giddy and smiley about the happening of that moment. a brief hour or two passed as we clambered over the large slippery glacier face, jumping up carved stairs and singing Disney songs, enjoying every second as if it was our last. after hauling off our spikey shoes, we laughed and sung all the way back to the coach, telling a story that turned into a rather impressive poem - "stab, drab, nab, lab, jab, cab, slab, fab, kebab, ab, crab, ab". another short journey in a much quieter bus as tired teenagers slept lead us to a gas station, dark street light filled car park that allowed us to shop for food with our newly discover Icelandic kroner. A bag filled with gloves, hat and scarf with newly added Oreos, peach water and haribos weighed me down as i stood beside him again, laughing as his jokes because everyone knows him to be funny. admiring his tallness, i walk past and climb onto the bus, slumping in my seat as we descend into darkness towards to hotel Geirland with nothing but out food and tired friends to accompany us. soup, meatballs, ice cream and green tea is eaten with a crumb left, hungry bellies filling the gaps the day has left. a quick shower and a video watched with cuddles, sleep is heard throughout the lodge and my eyes soon close to then dream about the boy whom i may or may not like more than just a friend. 

- 7547 steps = 17 kilometres

day three - 18/10/17

a normal 1am sleep time leaves us with dark bags under eyes that look out to a beautiful morning with the horses galloping through the field just outside our wide open window and fern green curtains. a full breakfast buffet delights my plate with boiled eggs, warm bread and salad with a few cups of coffee. off onto the busy coach we climb and a long 1 hour 40 minute drive is accompanied with musical dancing and out of tune singing whilst the pretty scenery races past, lullabying certain people to sleep. turning around, i see him sleeping like a baby, a cute smile spreads on my face as i turn back around to see Leah watching me closely. we arrive at the beach and my jaw drops in awe of the absolutely stunning icebergs that sit comfortably on top of the crystal blue water. pictures will never do the glacial lagoon justice as the sun glistens on top of the slowly moving ice, making us all gasp in surprise at the beauty of the cold beaches of Iceland. black sand under foot we wander towards the main sea front, where cold winds cut through our hats but soft waves sing sweet music to a normally quiet environment. the tiny air bubbles glow colours in the sun light as my camera catches a tiny glimpse of the natural art of Iceland's interesting coast line. we walk back to the coach and snap photos of the bridge hanging high above our cold heads, tired legs aching under our waterproof weights. a short 40 minute rest until we reach the second glacier, a large brown stoney land awaits our hands to skim stones upon the lakes formed by melt water. long life talks with Eve lead us to the edge of the glacier, large ashy ice sticks out in ridged spikes, sharp enough to kill a bird. we stand in front of the lake, a small iceberg balanced in the middle and a joint effort from me and him to skim stones and finally get a high score of 12. the beautiful sun set leaves us stunned as we slowly sleep on the swaying bus ride that fights with dangerous winds and pouring rain. a slow dinner and talks with Amelia keep me awake as i babble on about my crush, and concern about his happiness after seeing him looking so down. after speaking to him briefly on illegal phones at the table, i realise in that moment how much i like him, and how much i have ignored these feelings so many times before. climbing on to my bed, Katie braids my hair and discuss the daily events, making me happier by the second. green tea in bed with Leah finishes the best day by far as we slowly fall asleep to the final sounds of laughter from the next bedroom along. 

- 11894 steps = 5.6 miles

day four - 19/10/17

another early rising leaves us with a rushed breakfast and a cancelled trip to the beach due to dangerous waves but a good hair day keeps the spirits high. after a long wait behind a "slow coach" ironically, we raced ahead to the food stop in which i brought pizza roles and paprika pringles which were most positively the best things ever invented. we continued to the secret lagoon which seemed a long way away as we wove through the trees and farm in land. collecting our bags and heading into the changing rooms, i strip to my orange swimsuits and mentally compare my hated body to the other girls around me, even though my chest area is rather large. running out to the sulphur smelling pool, i dip my toes and then continue to wander in to the hot bathing water, ignoring the stares from the boys everywhere but my eyes. staring at him, he swims through the water with great speed but stops a few feet from my arms that pull the water behind me as a reach out to my friends. the boys splash in the playful manly ways as the girls kick their feet in the air in an attempt to beat the others in a hand stand contest. after an hour of swimming, splashing and relaxing, we climb out, shower and get back onto the cold coach, preparing for another long ride to Geysir to see the geysers. arriving at the seemingly busy park, we wander to the rock field of steam and river tributaries that all lead to the large bowl of water that bubbles and sinks every so often, leaving us in suspense of the explosion to come. preparing my camera, i film the water burst from a blue bubble in the ground, hot water spraying everywhere. a few moments later it erupts again, amazing all the tourists that gather around the base of the geyser. walking back to the shops, we buy our lunch and then walk back to the hidden coach, tired from our daily travels. day not yet over, we travel to the Gullfos waterfall which sits within a gorge and could be called gorgeous but i already decided i am better than small puns. "water you doing Sophie?", help me. as we climbed down to the falls, i took many photos of the large spray clouds and admired the strong waves that vibrate loud throughout the rocky terrain. taking photos with all the teachers, i stand near him and take a photo of our two smiling faces, his head significantly higher than mine. after walking to the top of the hill, we glance over the balcony to see the white water flowing over the steep drop of the waterfalls. the two tiers forcing rocks to erode into caves and tumble down to the river below. posed as Jack and Rose in Titanic, the two boys (Luke and Matt) stand leaning again the barrier as some of us sing My heart with go on. after finding the coach again, we clamber on and fall immediately to sleep in exhaustion even when we have one last place to visit. right on time, we arrive at the mid-Atlantic ridge where many lakes and rocky hills place us in no mans land between the tectonic plates, with only a few small houses and churches being the civilisation we can see. our aching legs pacing towards the small river, we observe the cat shape in the broken rock and discuss the horrid ways of death in earlier years of this area. tired eyes and hungry stomachs fill up on vegetable wraps and salad with a side of laughter and clapping for the winners of the Icelandic awards. a funny hour or two watching Jamie teach Mr Firth or dance leaves us in tears on the floor, a good way to end our last day in Iceland. A few coffees later and we are dancing around the room, no tired eyes are seen. packed up and silently talking, we prepare for the early morning traveling.

- 6276 steps = 3.1 miles.

day five - 20/10/17

waking up to different alarm sounds, we struggle out of bed and quickly dress in comfortable clothes ready for inspection. luggage packed and leaning on our legs, we walk down 4 flights of stairs and reach the coach in which we line up to get better seats than other times before, suitcases safely stored underneath the back. at 4am we depart from the Hotel Ork and travel through the main city of Reykjavik, many people sleeping or listening to soft music. Airport queues feel like miles as we rid of our heavy bags and buy some food for the short flight back to the noisy, built up country of England. a Mexican wrap, green tea and kinder sweats in my rucksack, we leave for the plane on the germ filled bus, bored and tired of crowds of people. sat upright listening to Ellie Goulding i stare out the small window and imagine life at home, wishing i could stay in Iceland, even if i couldn't see my family again. the people we went with, the adventure and the experience made everything so happy. how i wish i could travel there again. Sat beside Josh Matkin and Katie Menzies, the plane hits a strong cloudy area and the turbulence rocks our journey for a short while. once we broke above the fluffy balls of water vapour, the sun beamed through the windows and a beautiful sun rise appears before our exhausted eyes. we suffer through two hours of uncomfy seats and stuffy air before a rocky landing in miserable Manchester. moods running high, the late coach fits all of us comfortably and i listen to music whilst hating on the busy roads and many houses that differ to the landscape of Iceland, my happy place in which i wish to return. thirty six frustrated teenagers grab their bags and hug friends before heading home, a short car ride before reaching a familiar home that seems so hated in this moment in time. four other children pour into the house and immediately create an unfathomable amount of noise that bangs through my head like i have a hang over. before sliding into bed i demolish a take away pizza and throw half of my clothes on the floor, a warm bed the only haven i enjoy in the house. as i sleep i dream of him and i in the new found loved place of Iceland, a country of adventure and frosted love.

- 2177 steps = 1.01 miles

i fully recommend you all visit Iceland, i cannot describe the beauty in which it tames. go. go see it for yourselves. <3

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