Fall in Review

So here it is, mid-November, two weeks away from Thanksgiving. I've spent the majority of the Autumn feeling essentially homeless; all of my belongings strewn about between three different locations and not having a place to call my very own. My computer kicked the bucket, I had a dog for a week (which is a slightly short story for another time), I went on a hike or two, and I've traveled between Whitefish and Edmonds to Eugene and back to Edmonds to Whitefish to Bozeman and Big Sky and then back to Whitefish and down to Portland, back to Edmonds to Whitefish, and finally I have been able to settle down in the little shoe box I can now call home at Big Sky (ski resort), Montana.

Since arriving at Big Sky, I have done twice as much hiking as I was able to do this summer, got a new computer (well, technically it isn't mine, but I get to use it), the snow has started to fall, and I was able to cross a few things off The List:

#45: make an earring holder

# 46: knit a sweater #55: finish knitting my pink blanket

#58: learn to knit socks

and, most importantly

#89: see a moose

The Icelandic Landscape

The Icelandic landscape is like nothing I´ve quite seen before. In one sense it reminds me a little bit of Eastern Washington, though mostly just in the sense of color. You have those golden wheat fields in E. Washington, and here there is that same golden color, only instead of wheat, it´s the tundra. Flat, flat tundra. No rolling hills. There is also the occasional river and waterfall that have cut their way through the land, their banks looking more canyon like than the gentle slopes you see back at home. Sheep and Icelandic horses dot the country side as well (though, I have seen many more horses than sheep) And like I said.....it´s flat. Very flat. Flat, that is, until the snow covered mountain that has (literally, I´m sure) exploded from the ground. Like if you took a pen, drew a straight line, then at the end of the line made an upside-down 'V'. Thats what it looks like. No gradual rise, no foothills.......just *BAM* mountain! It awes me everytime I look outside.
Unfortunately, I happen to be slightly (ok. maybe more than just slightly) prone to motion sickness. So I have spend a good amount of time missing all of this beautiful scenery because after looking out the window for a good 10 minutes, I have to try to sleep so as not to puke on the nice looking Icelandic gentleman that is sitting in front of me.


did I mention there are virtually no trees in Iceland?

The Plan.........sort of.

The plan is only tentative (as with most travel plans, all is apt to change). The only things that are fact are: Cory will be my travel partner. We leave Seattle on April 18 (arrive in Iceland April 19). Will be WWOOFing (working worldwide on organic farms) on two farms in May. We depart May 19th. The up in the air part is where we will travel before the farms. So far we are going up to the W. Fjords, then to Sau∂krokur, a couple of nights in Akureyri, and maybe check out the whaling town of Húsavik before heading to Eglissta∂ir and Selfoss (where the two farms we will be WWOOFing on are), making our final stop in Reykjavik.

I want to do some hiking. Cory wants to go fly fishing. We want to see some whales and some puffins. Some waterfalls and some hot springs. I want to take lots of pictures, and meet new people, and try something new everyday.

So thats the outline. How we are going to get from place to place is unknown.......but I guess that's just going to be all a part of the adventure.