I’ve been listening to a lot of country music lately. It’s so lonely and romantic, and there’s something so terribly alluring about broken hearts on the open road, about horses and trucks and beer and pretty ladies.

In the week leading up to my departure from Minneapolis, I found myself driving too fast, listening to country music as loud as I could stand, and crying on the highway with that bubbling-up-crazy, what-the-hell-am-I-getting-myself-into excitement energy.

I wasn’t nervous until I knew my ride to the airport was on his way, and then general travel anxiety kicked into full gear. What if I go to the airport on the wrong day? (I’ve done that) What if my credit card number gets stolen right at the beginning of the trip? (that happened once) What if I get food poisoning and can’t even keep water in me and almost pass out from weakness on the way through customs? (I’ve done that)…and, worst of all, What if I don’t have any fun?

This is my first time traveling alone, without a host family to catch me, without a partner by my side, without even a friendly face to greet me at the airport.

People keep asking me, why Iceland? Why alone?

I chose Iceland for a few reasons. First, D and I had planned to come here a year and a half ago, and while that obviously didn’t happen, it sparked my interest (and also he’s pretty good at picking out awesome places to travel, so I knew it would be good). Second, MSP is a hub for IcelandAir (take note, Minnesotans!) and therefore it was fairly inexpensive to fly to Keflavik. Third, I was getting some little nudges from the universe (sounds crazy); mentions in books I was reading, overheard licks of conversation at restaurants, and not one but two of the relatively few internet dates I went on mentioned their trips to Iceland. Fourth and not least of all, I enjoy a good cold, desolate landscape. As for why I came alone, I wanted to make up my itinerary by the moment, to spend some time reflecting, and to meet people in the way that you don’t when you’re traveling with someone.

And so the Single Lady Pilgrimage Trip was born.

I’ve been here for nine days and I’ll be here for nine more, hiking lava cliffs, soaking in geothermal hotsprings, riding moody horses, driving through mountain tunnels, eating smoked fish and applecake and drinking glacial water (also beer made with glacial water). After having one of the most magical days of my trip yet, I’m grounded in a snowstorm right now in the Mývatn area of Northern Iceland, listening to the bitter wet wind batter the lava fields.