Iceland: the Smithson Saga

Day 1 – 2012/July/29 – 12:00 noon local (GMT)

The trip has officially begun, though it continues to feel somewhat surreal.  I have just awoken from a nap from my room in Aurora’s (Roro’s) house.  I am the only guest to have arrived, where she has several rooms available- all of which will be filled during mine (and Mircea’s) 3 week adventure.  Though I had originally set my alarm to wake me at 10:30 local, GMT (4 hours ahead of my biological clock),  my return to sleep after turning off the alarm told me just how tired I really was.  My body, having rejected the notion of conquering the city on such little sleep on the trip over, returned to sleep, awaking naturally at what it felt was 8:00 am… 12:00 noon here.  Now to tell family and friends I have arrived safely – and begun catching the extraordinary events to have occurred to make this trip legendary enough to call it a Saga.

And as with any story, where is the REAL beginning?  The method in which this adventure started ideologically is exciting enough, but quells with respect to the start of actual movement away from the States.

Day (-1) – 2012/July/27 – sometime during the evening after work, Louisville Time

Delta said I could check in.  I found out the night before that I would only be allowed one checked bag (for a reasonable price), causing me to rethink my packing strategy.  Backpack it was, with a carryon day pack, with the rope bag (stuffed with climbing gear) + ukulele as my “personal item combo” (if anybody asks).  Danny Selby told me during the day that GE had worked out a deal with Delta that would give EVERY GE employee Silver Medallion status until February 2014 – after 2 weeks of processing time.  A little tardy to learn that – I would’ve been allowed two free checked bags!  Alas, I checked in online promising I would bring along one bag.  And so the packing commenced.  Yes, the night before I left.

Day 0 – 2012/July/28 – first thing in the morning…  I awoke to Jason’s alarm at 7:15 vs my desired 9:30 awaking.  Grr…

And now Delta is trying to reach me by phone…  and email.  The flight from Louisville to Detroit has been cancelled!  But they promise to get me to my destination somehow.  Before I had time to fret, my itinerary showed a Louisville-Minneapolis/St Paul-Keflavik flight itinerary.  One less leg- fantastic!  I ran some errands… and had hours to kill before departure.  Danny came over to play some Dominion before I left…  and the departure went without a hitch.

For the MSP-KEF leg of the trip, I received a complimentary upgrade to Saga Class (read: Icelandair’s “First Class”…  or as the stewardess told me and Crofton, the lady next to me, “You are in the Comfort Zone.”).  None too shabby for the 6 hour leg over!  Crofton promised to be as talkative as myself.  She and some others were continuing on to Greenland, where they were part of a Discovery Channel film crew – Animal Planet – and were spending the next 8 weeks filming and camping in a remote spot in Greenland.  And thus we exchanged stories for much of the trip, and I caught a couple of hours of shut-eye.

Day 1 – 2012/July/29

I found out just how quick I am.  I am fast.  The first itinerary (that was cancelled) placed me in Keflavik at 9:00 am local.  Now we were to arrive at KEF at 6:30 am.  That’s fast…  quite a time saving!  In fact, I was so fast during the flight, that I beat my luggage to Keflavik!  After seeing all my fellow MSP passengers depart the baggage claim, it only took a moment at the Baggage Services desk for them to tell me, “Yes, your bag is still in Minneapolis.”  With a big smile, I was counting my blessings for having consolidated bags…  and moving a fresh pair of underwear to my carryon the night before, anticipating this very event.  It *should* arrive in Reykjavik tomorrow morning, about the same time as my arrival today.

I hopped on the bus up to Reykjavik.  I gave Roro a call from the bus terminal’s business phone (after messing for some time with the pay phone – yes, they still exist – without any luck with swiping my credit card).  She came to pick me up, prepared a small breakfast, and began sharing pieces of each others’ lives.  She bid me to take a nap given my lack of sleep…  and now it’s time to begin conquering Reykjavik in the direction counter to Leif Ericksson’s landing from the East in 1000 AD…  now it’s Keith Smithson’s landing from the West!  …with his luggage – and tools- to follow shortly…