All we have to do is decide what to do with the time given to us.
JRR Tolkien
As 2025 approaches, many of us reflect on the past year and what’s ahead. New Year’s Eve 2024 was the best New Year’s Eve I had ever had. I spent it in Iceland with a new friend and had my first traditional Icelandic New Year. I’ve always treated New Year’s Eve as a good time to reflect and decide on any changes I wanted to make to the New Year. For example, some questions I ask myself are:
What went as planned in 2024? What didn’t?
What did I do well, and what did I learn or could do better?
What relationships did I foster, and which ones should I let go of?
What must I work on for the New Year to achieve my vision?
What am I grateful for?
Reflecting back, I can’t help but think of my first New Year’s in Iceland in 2021. It was my second trip there in a few months and I had booked it to see the Aurora. At the time, I thought it would be my last trip to Iceland but by the third day, I knew that wouldn’t be the case.
Due to unforeseen snow squalls and high winds I spent most of the visit cuddled up in a small cottage on a horse farm on the enchanting Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
Snaefellsnes is known as Iceland in miniature and sits on the west side of the country, North of Reykjavik. It is one of my favorite regions of the country due to its heart-stopping landscapes, history, and mysticism.
My favorite things to do in Snaefellsnes are to see the Buðir black church, hike the lava fields, and photograph the iconic Kirkjufell mountain. A drive through the peninsula is guaranteed to reward you with dramatic landscapes and some of the most gorgeous scenery in Iceland.
Furthermore, Snaefellsnes is home to some of the country’s most bizarre folk tales. It was once home to the largest Celtic female settlement in the country and home to some of the most famous stories of the Sagas!
If you visit Snaefellsnes, stop in Stykkisholmur, the charming fishing town in the North. The scenery by the pier is breathtaking, and a short drive from there will take you to Helgafell or “Three Wishes Mountain.”
That winter, I chose to stay on Snaefellsnes because of its dark skies, where I could see the Northern Lights as the region lacked any light pollution. The cottage I rented was tucked beside snowcapped picturesque mountains, and from the front deck, I could see the capitol lights. Sodulshot is located on a horse farm, making it an even more pleasant stay immersed in nature.
On New Year’s Eve, the temperature plummeted, and I would occasionally bundle up in my wool to look outside at the clear night sky to admire the glittering stars. Despite perfect conditions, there was no aurora.
I saw the dazzling fireworks show in Reykjavik from my cottage. As I watched, I felt I was missing out a bit. This was the first feeling I craved for friends in Iceland, yet I didn’t think I would return.
Eventually, when my hands grew cold, I would step back inside and curl up on the couch with a cup of hot chocolate and book. It was a peaceful night, and I remember this entire trip fondly.
Several days later, my plane departed for the States. I slunk into my seat to hide the tears streaming down my face. I was in love with Iceland and knew this would not be my last trip there.
During my next trip, I began to book a few tours and make friends with fellow travelers and locals. This is when my first friendship formed with a woman named Iris, who I met on a guided tour of Fimmvorðuhals, one of Iceland’s epic treks which stretches from Skógar to Þórsmörk.
It felt as if I had known her my whole lifetime. We stayed in touch, and to my delight, I had my first authentic Icelandic New Year’s last year with her and her family.
We played games, watched the fireworks, ate dessert late and enjoyed the traditional Icelandic comedy show Áramótaskkaupið.
I couldn’t think of a better way to start a New Year.
This felt as if it just happened yesterday and I think I speak for many of us when I ask, where did the year go?!
I spent six weeks in a camper van this past summer in Iceland. It was a difficult trip, but many moments made me realize what life is about. I finally got my puffin pictures at Westmann Islands and was treated to the most spectacular Northern Lights show at Goðafoss.
The three days I spent photographing puffins were magical and left me feeling as if I had found what life is all about. I will never forget laying in the grasses near the colony and watching the sunset over the Atlantic. The only sounds were the nearby sheep grazing and the gentle lapping of the ocean. It was a memory I will cherish forever, and for this, the puffin will forever hold a special place in my heart.
During the five weeks, friendships deepened, new ones were formed, and sadly, one ended. I was offered more opportunities and awarded an art residency to continue my Iceland-inspired projects into 2025.
Since that first New Year’s Eve in Iceland, this has all felt like a whirlwind as new doors open and others close, and it is becoming quite clear my travels to the country that stole my heart have no end in sight.
I am no expert at life, and I know I have a lot to learn, but for those of us out there wondering when to take that leap of faith, I would like to offer advice on what I have learned so far.
When the universe asks, are you in or out, what will your answer be?
A stranger can change it all
Last year during a trip to Iceland a stranger asked me a life-changing question:
All you have to do is decide what you want in this life. Is it to make money? To help people? To inspire others? To make this world a better place?
It is hard to believe I have reached middle age without answering this question. Now was the time. The answer was right in front of me. I wanted to do what I love to do and inspire others to do the same. But what was holding me back? Was it money? Time?
When I thought about it, I realized the excuses I had told myself were just excuses, and the truth was that I was afraid to fail. This is where life begins; you must first believe in yourself. And if you don’t, find a good friend who does. Sometimes, that is all it takes.
Believe in yourself and never give up
Believe in yourself because no one else will. Ask any successful entrepeneur doing what they love and they will all say the same thing, I never gave up.
Life and success is not linear, and our definition of success changes as we do. At one point in my life, success was in the form of money, cars, a lovely house, and a title. This is no longer the case. Success for me now is doing what I love full-time and inspiring other people to do the same.
Last year I finally stepped into an aerial studio to take up Lyra, a circus art. I had zero background in aerial arts, weak arms, and zero flexibility. With a lot of hard work, dedication, exceptional instructors, and a strong belief that I could do this, I am now taking class three times a week and loving it.
Lyra taught me how powerful the mind is. I was right if I believed I could do it or not. It taught me patience, self-compassion, and acceptance of where I was on my journey.
Find your “Lyra” in life. It could be anything you want to do but are afraid to try. Devote time to it, and celebrate your wins and your failures; you will learn from both.
Remember that failures are inevitable and are one of the most essential steps toward success. Failures are when we grow, failure is when we learn, and failure is often when we realize we may need to change course and be creative with our solutions.
But for us to get up, dust ourselves off, and continue on, we must believe in ourselves.
Think of a time when you didn’t believe you could do something, and you did it anyway. How did that feel?
Make the right connections and know when to walk away from the wrong ones
Find your people. This is not always easy but it can be as simple as striking up a conversation. I am not the best at social media networking. However, I have made fantastic connections with like-minded people while traveling or at the local coffee shop.
Also, be ready to let go of the wrong people for you.
In the past, I wrote about a man I had developed feelings for in Iceland. Although I still care for him, he was not meant to stay in my life. He was a lesson, and in life, it suits us best to accept this.
Some people stay, and some are meant not to. This is okay, and life goes on.
When you find your people, treat them well. Thank them. Go above and beyond to show them how special they are to you. Small gestures of kindness do best, and reciprocity in friendships is rewarded.
When you are down and out and about to quit, a good friend saying just what you need to hear can be a game changer. You don’t need many, just the right ones.
Don’t force things with people who will not appreciate you and your authentic self. Above all, your authenticity is what matters most, and realize that if someone has a problem with this or treats you poorly, this is their problem, not yours. Let them and move on.
On that note, be vigilant about what you let into your space. Negative energy, like the news, can poison your mindset. Fill your space with positive stories, positive social media, and good energy. There is good news out there and good people. It is up to us to find them and be one ourselves.
What people in your life deserve more of you and less of you?
Trust yourself
Getting lost in other people’s advice and opinions is easy. Believe me I have done it. But no one knows whats best for you besides you. It is one thing to seek advice about someone who has experience with a specific skillset, or perhaps a business question or experience using something you are interested in.
But there is a HUGE difference between a friend telling you what Instagram story planner is best versus what you should do with the rest of your life. Only you can answer that question because only you know what is in your heart.
This why practices such as meditation and journaling are so important. We live in a world with ample opportunity for outside noise and distractions. Too much of this can disrupt our intuition.
Always follow your intuition or gut feeling about something. It is never wrong. Trust yourself; you know more than you realize.
Has your intuition ever been right about something?
Rest in gratitude
The universe rewards gratitude, and you will find your overall outlook on life improve if you take the time to feel gratitude.
Several years ago, I was involved in a horrible accident. I couldn’t do much of anything besides rest and heal which seemed like a nightmare for someone like myself who always needs to be doing something.
During this time I began a gratitude journal. Every day I would record three things I was grateful for. At first, this was a challenge, but after just a week I found myself noticing the small things in life that I had always taken for granted. For example, my morning coffee, the sunrise, the birds at the feeder or the short walk I was able to take.
Whenever I had a bad day, I would reflect on my entries, and my entire perspective would shift. Although I was in pain, and my recovery was long, I am grateful for this time and for my family, who supported me during this. It would have been easy for me to get lost in the fear, pain, and worry, but I refused to give in. Instead, I focused on the positive, no matter how difficult it got. This saved me in so many ways.
Since then I have kept the gratitude journal habit. It has helped me shift my perspective to an overall positive one as well and helped me practice mindfulness, paying closer attention to life itself.
Don’t get me wrong, There are still bad times, sad times, and things that just plain suck. But I never, no matter what, skip this practice. It has been a life changer.
What are you grateful today?
All the talent in the world doesn’t replace dedication
Another entrepeneur gave me advice that stuck with me to this day. Never ever give up. You will fall a thousand times, fail a thousand more, but the success is when you get up.
If you love something, are passionate about it, and your intent is pure, you won’t give up, and when you really feel like it; call your tribe.
When I was drafting my first book, I called my editor in tears. I was ready to trash it. Frustrated from multiple rewrites and feeling as if I just plain sucked, I was spiraling fast. My editor, a true gem, talked me down from the ledge and convinced me to go on.
I broke the project down into smaller tasks ( our brain prefers this over large tasks), and I finished the rewrite before I knew it. The book was published, became a best-seller, and earned me a talk in Iceland on Norse Mythology. This was a dream come true and never would have happened if I had given up.
On the other hand, sometimes we need to walk away from something. Maybe we decided something is not for us, or our passion for it is gone, or perhaps it is meant to be just a stepping stone to the next thing.
As someone with multiple career changes, I can tell you this is okay. And guess what? Those skills WILL come in handy again one day. You never know where life will take you; if you love something, just don’t give up.
This is why it’s critical to follow your why at all costs.
I can promise you no matter how hopeless it feels or how dark it gets, there is a light ahead. Just keep going.
Think of a time when failure taught you something. What did you learn?
Take chances
When I booked my five-week trip to Iceland last summer, I was anxious it would be a mistake. What if the weather didn’t cooperate? What if I couldn’t find any puffins? What if this and what if that? Then my dad told me, whether it’s a good or bad experience, it will still be good.
And he was right. The trip was challenging. The weather was uncooperative and unpredictable and I grew lonely when I was cooped up in my van for days or driving for hours. But many things on this trip made the experience worth it. Good or bad, it all had value and made me a better person.
I made invaluable connections, deepened a friendship and also had my heart broken by someone I had trusted. I didn’t get the dream Aurora pictures I had imagined, but three days with the puffins on Vestmannaeyjar made up for it.
I learned allot about Icelandic weather, and even more about myself, what I like, what I don’t like, and how to prepare better for changing weather conditions. As an eight-time visitor to Iceland, I thought I knew it all, but the truth was, I had so much more to learn.
My dad had been right. It was a life-changing trip, not how I had initially expected it to be. The skills and knowledge I gained were invaluable, and no YouTube video will ever outdo real-life experience. Looking back on this trip, there was not a thing I would have changed.
There will always be a what-if in life. There will always be fear when we are taking a chance, and sometimes you will not feel ready, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
I took a chance in 2021 when I boarded a plane to Iceland alone. This was a life changer for me, leading to taking more chances and opportunities. Doors opened I never knew were there; I made new friends, took up new hobbies, returned to photography, and began this blog!
What chances will you take in 2025?
You can never go wrong with passion
Everyone has a different idea of sacrifice. All I can speak of is what mine has been and I have been very fortunate to have the support of family and friends along the way.
My entire Iceland journey began five years ago when I started writing a book based on stories from the Prose Edda. There were weeks where I would have to wake up at 3 am because it was the only time I had to write before my full time job. I missed gatherings with friends, sold belongings to afford the editing fees, and worked nonstop to make this publishing dream come true.
Then, my travels to Iceland began, and even more of my story unraveled as other works formed, including this website, and opportunities appeared.
Sometimes I feel disbelief of it all. As someone who abandoned the idea of becoming a published author when I graduated college twenty years ago I had no idea life had this in store for me.
Now I realize that whatever it is in life that you are passionate about will always find you. It is up to you to answer it.
When, you do something with love and passion, it is always a win.
So pay attention when that little voice knocks and you feel joy doing something. It is your calling.
What are you passionate about?
What’s next….
In 2025, I will embark on more adventures in Iceland to pursue a few projects I have on the table.
These upcoming trips are out of my comfort zone in so many ways, and I know it will require tremendous work to make it happen, but I am grateful beyond words for it all.
Boarding a plane alone to travel there three years ago changed the trajectory of my life forever, and I believe nothing great comes in life without taking a chance.
It all comes down to answering that one question a stranger asked me; All you have to do is decide what you want from this life.
So when the universe comes knocking and asks are you in or out, what will you answer?
Looking for more inspiration or one of a kind Iceland tips:
How a solo camper van trip to Iceland changed my life forever
Seven things you need to do now
Chasing the Northern Lights: A transformative journey in Iceland
Iceland Travel Tips: Embracing Spontaneity and Slowing Down
The City with the Broken Hearts
