A trip to Iceland did not disappoint. In fact, it left me with a deeper sense of wonder—and a reminder that sometimes traveling halfway around the world can help us see both the world and ourselves a little differently. It is a trip I highly recommend. We traveled on a Viking Ocean cruise that included five port stops around the island. Our first stop was Ísafjörður, the largest town in Iceland’s remote Westfjords region, with a population of only about 2,000 residents. When our ship arrived, we increased the town’s population by nearly a third!

Discovering Ísafjörður Through Iceland Travel

So, what did I discover? A charming little town with a newly built traffic circle that the locals were quite proud of. A local brewery where I sampled a flight of Icelandic specialties. And, perhaps most unexpectedly, a community center where a 17-year-old girl sang to us—first an original song about her boyfriend and then an old traditional Icelandic folk song. Except for the language, I could have been sitting in any small town in America. A teenage girl singing about young love? That felt wonderfully familiar.

Iceland’s Fishing History and Rugged Coastline

Our excursion continued to an outdoor museum—a replica of a 19th-century Icelandic fishing station. Down by the sea were a traditional rowing boat, a crew hut filled with tools and equipment, a salt house, and a fish-drying hut. The spectacular coastline stretched out behind it all… And there was the difference.

Here was a glimpse into a history and way of life shaped by a rugged landscape and a dependence on the sea. Fishing and fish processing remain important industries in the region—something we certainly can find in parts of the United States as well. Yet standing there, looking out across that dramatic Icelandic coastline, I was struck by how both familiar and foreign it felt. We may speak different languages, live in different places, and have histories shaped by very different circumstances. But the things that connect us are often remarkably simple: family, work, music, young love, community, and the stories we tell about where we come from.

A Total Solar Eclipse Over Ísafjörður

Then came the moment that made the entire day unforgettable. Later that afternoon, we experienced a total solar eclipse. The clouds rolled in just as totality arrived, so I wasn’t able to capture the spectacular image I had hoped for. But I did manage to photograph the partial eclipse—and, honestly, totality itself did not disappoint. As the sky grew darker, the city lights of Ísafjörður began to glow below us. Standing on the top of the ship and watching the transition from daylight to an eerie, beautiful twilight, I felt incredibly small.

And incredibly grateful.

For a brief moment, the moon passed directly between the Earth and the sun, completely blocking the sun’s face. Day became darkness. The familiar became extraordinary. And looking down at the tiny lights of a town that had seemed so small just hours before, I found myself thinking about the vastness of the cosmos—and how little of it we can control. There is so much in this world, and in the universe, that is completely beyond us.

But there is also so much we can control.

What Travel Teaches Us About Connection

We can choose to reach out. We can choose kindness. We can choose curiosity over judgment. We can choose to listen to someone whose language, culture, or life may be different from our own. Travel has a way of reminding us of that. I went to Iceland expecting to see glaciers, fjords, waterfalls, and beautiful landscapes. I didn’t expect a teenage girl singing about her boyfriend to make me feel at home. I didn’t expect an old fishing station to make me think about how much our histories connect us. And I certainly didn’t expect a solar eclipse to leave me reflecting on the importance of relationships. But perhaps that is the real gift of travel. We go looking for something different, and along the way, we discover just how much we have in common. The world is wonderfully big. Our differences are worth celebrating. And yet, beneath all those differences, we are still people looking for connection, belonging, love, and meaning.

Small Beneath the Icelandic Sky

Standing beneath that darkened Icelandic sky, I was reminded of just how small we are in the great cosmos—and how important it is that, while we are here, we take care of one another. Because in the end, relationships may be one of the few things we truly can control—and one of the greatest wonders we will ever experience. Something to contemplate over a strong, black drip-style coffee (just the way the Icelanders like it).