Wanderlust

First of all, happy new year (even though it's way too late). I've changed the template and theme for the blog, so if things aren't working properly I'll try and get it fixed soon. Probably my own fault for using free templates! I'm going to try and write more this year, especially as I'm starting work on my research project at university. 

Anyway, onto today's topic.

As I've grown older, I've had an increasing sense of wanderlust. Sometimes it is just a fanciful idea triggered by a photo of some far off land. Sometimes it is a stagnant feeling of being in the same place for too long. Sometimes it is a pulling in my chest that strikes without warning.

I have been lucky enough to travel a fair bit with school and university, and on holiday. Despite that, I want to see so much more of the world.  I want to meet its people and taste its fruits. I want to climb its mountains and touch the skies of every continent, if not every country.

Not only are destinations exhilarating, I think there is something magnificent about flying as well. Man wasn't meant to see above the clouds - especially so far above them - and it leaves me with a sense of awe every single time. There's a sort of serene beauty to it, and the breaks in the clouds offer a wonderful perspective of the planet. Perhaps it's partly due to my interest in geology, but I love being able to look out of that tiny window and see the Earth as it is - following rivers across the landscape, watching mountains rise up out of their foothills, finding lakes nestled between them. It's a really rather lovely feeling.

Right. That's enough of that. My next trip is to Iceland (I'm leaving in 2 days, in fact). It's only a short break, but I'll get to see a lot. I'm travelling along the SE coast which is pretty much the only section of the coast road that I haven't seen yet. I'll be taking a lot of photos with my new camera, and hopefully the weather will be half-way decent. It's forecasted for a week of heavy rain at the moment... Nevertheless, I will be posting them on my flickr. I'm still getting the hang of it, but I've already uploaded some from my previous trips to Iceland and Japan.

Oh, and just so you know - I have always gone to Iceland through Discover the World. I'd highly recommend them. They are incredibly easy to deal with and very helpful. They offer a range of packages and self-drive holidays throughout the year, and I think the prices are pretty good. For example, this next trip cost me roughly £500 for four days, but that is including flights, accommodation, transport, two meals a day, and a guide.

In order to make this a little more fun, I've made a few playlists based on some of the places I've been and what I listen to to remind me of them (and what sets of my wanderlust). I am fully aware that not all the songs are by artists from the specific country or region, but the feel of the music is fitting.

You can listen to them by clicking the images below. I recommend listening to them on shuffle, and there may be a little overlap between playlists.