In October 2024, I went on a week-long trip to Iceland with Travel World Culture, a travel company where solo travelers can meet strangers on trips of a lifetime.
I’ve been wanting to go to Iceland since I was in high school and watched “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” for the first time. The film follows the protagonist Walter Mitty (Ben Stiller) during his last few weeks at LIFE Magazine before they officially shut down. Mitty, a film developer, has been tasked with printing the final cover of the magazine with one exception: he can’t find the negative from his photographer. So, he sets out on a solo quest to find the photo.
As a photographer, this movie has always inspired me and I’ve dreamt of going to Iceland with my camera in hand to have a similar adventure. I got to meet some incredible people (both from the U.S. and in Iceland) as we explored Reykjavik, hiked glaciers, chased rainbows and waterfalls, and hiked a canyon from the Ice Age. I split off from the group a few times to feed the ducks (scroll to the bottom for some of my best work) and go horseback riding with a local horse stable.
Throughout the trip, I was really taken aback by the vast difference in textures everywhere we went. Iceland is an incredible combination of water, moss, sand, grass, rock, and ice, a seemingly perfect example of the elements living together in harmony. While the stunning landscapes of this country are breathtaking, I challenged myself to look deeper and focus on the details of this texture. Sometimes the greatest beauty of all comes from taking a step closer. ❣️
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