Iceland has been on my bucket list for a few years now, and I finally had the perfect opening in my schedule to make the trip to the island of volcanos, hot springs, geysers, and lagoons. We landed in Reykjavik, so naturally my first adventure was to take a helicopter to the top of Mount Esja to take in the best views of the city.

We walked to the domestic airport and met our pilot from Nordurflug Helicopter Tours. We took off over the city and had the most amazing view of everything from downtown Reykjavik to an up-close glimpse of a inactive volcano crater. After about ten minutes we were headed for Mount Esja.

Because we were blessed with a perfect day with minimal wind and not a cloud in the sky, we were able to actually land on top of the mountain to explore and take pictures. We soaked in the 360 degree views, inhaled the fresh air, and did a little yoga for good measure.

The ride back was equally as thrilling as the pilot rode up the summit to then quickly drop us straight down the other side. It honestly felt like I was in a IMAX version of exploring the arctic. It was completely surreal. This was just one of the many adventures I will go on during my time here in Iceland. But needless to say… Im off to a great start.