My first time driving an ATV was up a mountain in Iceland at sunset. I have said that sentence more times than I can count since arriving home, but it was a trip highlight for me, without a doubt. Driving an ATV was not initially part of my plan for our free day. I spent a good part of my Thursday trying to convince people to go snowmobiling with me, because that was my grand plan. For about $200 American dollars, a company called Extreme Iceland offers snowmobile tours of Langjokull Glacier, the second largest in all of Iceland. It’s a little pricey, I know, but I appreciate the finer things in life (i.e. things that get my adrenaline pumping) and I’d made sure to save enough money for something exactly like that. Unfortunately, not a lot of other people had, and anyone who seemed interested in the idea was immediately turned off by the cost. I was starting to lose hope. It was through someone else that Shannon heard about my scheme late on Thursday night. I gave her the details enthusiastically, knowing I had to convince her or face a day full of other people’s plans. The moment she agreed is genuinely one of the most triumphant moments of my life. I awakened at 7:15 am that Friday, blessedly not hungover, ready to grab breakfast at the hotel before heading to our bus stop. Unfortunately, after a 2-hour bus ride to our destination we learned that the wind had picked up and our snowmobile tour was cancelled. Our kind bus driver offered the packed bus of tourists an alternative: head back toward Reykjavik for a quad bike tour. Only nine accepted. Shannon and I figured that we might as well make our day somewhat worthwhile, but little did we know that we were making one of the best decisions of our lives. All the driving time ate into our precious hours of sunlight, so I suppose it was closer to sunset by the time we arrived, got suited up, and hopped on our ATVs. The group of us followed our guide in a single file line down some winding roads and frosted over trails before really getting into the mountain part of it.
Shannon took the first turn driving, so I got the chance to really soak it all in. The sunlight caressing the tops of distant mountains, the crystalline snow giving way to dusky lavender rock, the seemingly endless expanse of dips and curves in the landscape—there was not a single moment of it that did not leave me in awe. Every sight my eyes fell upon made me want to reach for my phone, yet also left me with the wistful recognition that no camera could ever capture the sheer magnificence of it all. The smile that came along with it felt like it was there to stay forever. We wound our way up two different mountains that day. The second, called Úlfarsfell, is the one I drove up. We curved around some intense rocky paths and I got my first glimpses of Iceland beneath the snow. I was a little less focused on our views and a little more focused on driving and the exhilaration of it all, but that, too, was an unforgettable experience. We reached a point where we had to dismount our ATVs and walk the rest of the way up, but we were rewarded with a view of the most beautiful sights woven seamlessly together. Mountain gave way to city, the edges of which hugged deep blue ocean, which greeted mountains again on the other side, all enveloped by a golden sky. The wind howled at the top, shoving at us and making it difficult to remain standing still. I wanted to live in that moment forever. I’ve never felt so satisfied, so jubilant, so victorious. I very genuinely felt on top of the world, so far removed from and above everything else.
My heart aches for the other tourists who turned down the offer that day. They missed out on the chance of a lifetime. I am beyond grateful that Shannon and I chose to be adventurous and to have faith that Iceland would offer us something just as wonderful as its consolation. We were granted a breathtaking experience, one that was full of thrill, beauty, and joy, and one which I would choose again in a heartbeat.
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