All we have to do is decide what to do with the time given to us.
-JRR Tolkien
Six years ago, when the world shut down during the pandemic, I had a choice: to sit at home and worry or spend my free time doing something.
And so, I returned to writing and purchased my first digital camera in over twenty years. I had no idea that a year later, I would have an entire book draft and my first solo trip booked to Iceland.
I hired an editor, published the book, and in June of 2021, with a very uncertain mind, boarded a plane to the land of fire and ice.
It would be my first international trip alone and my first camper van experience. I had no plan, just a map, a new camera, and a notebook scribbled with places like “Jokulsfarlon, Thingvellir, and Skogafoss.”
I will never forget this feeling I had during the flight. Between fighting the excitement and the struggle to sleep, I looked out the window to see the stars glittering. I had never seen stars from a plane before- it was beautiful.
An overwhelming feeling that my life was about to change took over. I just knew this was destiny.
For the next eight days, I explored every possible nook of Iceland I could. I marveled at waterfalls, was hypnotized by an erupting volcano, and cried at the sight of the Eyjafjallajokull glacier. I heard my first Common Snipe, and walked with mountain sheep along a winding path past a fjord.
The sights and smells of Iceland lured me further.
The weather was so beautiful that I just kept driving and ended up completing the entire ring road (which I don’t recommend doing in eight days! It was very rushed, and I missed a lot).
Along the way, I took pictures with my new camera and journaled the experience. My pictures were not good ( it was my first time using a digital camera!). Despite this, my interest in photography was reignited, and that was when my life changed.
Once chance leads to another
When I returned from Iceland, I immediately booked a return trip. I was smitten with the landscapes and this unexplainable tug at my heartstrings.
Following my next trip, I planned another, and then another. Clearly my new found obession was not temporary.
Now my trips were intentional. I returned to see my first puffins, to witness the aurora, to explore far-off places like the rugged highlands and the stunning, wild West Fjords.
Soon, I made friends and took an interest in Icelandic culture, language, and people. I fell in love with the charismatic Icelandic horses, the sweeping landscapes speckled with grazing sheep, the morning light, the sunsets on Vestmannaeyjar, and the untold stories of hidden folk and trolls.
Through all this, I continued to take photographs. My knowledge of my camera improved, and my photographs began to get noticed. I continued to write and, in 2023, founded this blog, An Owl in Iceland, which began as a small, poorly organized WordPress site and then, with the help of a designer, became this.
I spent cold winter nights gazing at the aurora, and warm nights lying beside grazing sheep in the midnight sun. These quiet moments enriched my life beyond words, and I am forever grateful for them
My passion for Iceland was obvious. During my travels through the country, I befriended tour operators, locals, and other travelers. I earned collaborations and features on blogs.
It was these friendships that introduced me to the possibility of an art residency in Iceland, which I completed in 2025.
During this trip I took a chance and signed up for my first organized photography expedition- a 6 day adventure to Hornstrandir Nature Reserve to photograph Arctic foxes.
It was there, in unbelievable blizzard-like conditions, I found myself. My passion for wildlife and photography was reignited. Two weeks later, I boarded a ferry alone and sailed to Grimsey, where I reached the Arctic Circle. I spent two days photographing puffins and published a calendar of these images to benefit the Seabird Institute in Maine.
You can purchase my Save a Puffin Calendar here.
When I returned to the States in May, I was a changed person. This love for Arctic wildlife and their habitats inspired me to take action, to learn more skills, to participate in beach cleanups, to use my images to raise awareness, and to even begin designing my first dream project- a wildlife documentary.
If I had chosen to do nothing with my time in 2020, I would have never published a book inspired by Iceland’s myths. If I had never boarded that plane alone, I wouldn’t have discovered Iceland, and in the process, my true self.
If I had never taken that trip to Hornstrandir, where my limits as a photographer and as a person, I would never have been pushed but have rediscovered my love for wildlife photography and conservation.
You don’t have to be a photographer to relate to this story; you just have to have a dream.
When we are pursuing what we love, we will be afraid. The truth is, in order to do anything extraordinary in life, we have to have courage. No matter what, you will be afraid when the path is uncertain and when we are about to take a chance.
Life begins out of our comfort zone. Life begins when we listen to our hearts; when we allow passion to rise, and our uniqueness to shine.
In a few weeks, I am publishing my first picture book and taking the stage at a University to talk about my experience photographing Arctic wildlife. I never thought I would find my way back to my childhood dream of becoming a photographer and photojournalist, but that is the thing about what we are meant for- it will always call you back. It is up to you to answer.
Just like my first trip to Iceland, sometimes we don’t have a plan. We just have a feeling, a map, and a journal filled with scribbled destinations.
Open the journal today and begin.
You can read more about my thrilling and life-changing experience photographing Arctic foxes here.
If you are planning a solo camper van trip to Iceland, I’ve got you covered in this ultimate Camper Van Tip Guide.
My reliable companion during my travels is my Think Tank Backlight 26L bag. This thing has withstood some of the craziest conditions in Iceland, including a blizzard, airport travel, and an entire month on a remote island.
All of the items mentioned in this article were purchased and used by me. No one asked me. To mention these items, however, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase using the link provided.
