The Beauty of Being Open

I just came back from three magical days in Iceland.

We were incredibly lucky. Our first two days were warm and sunny. We spent a little time in Reykjavik before heading south toward Hella.

Even though Reykjavik is a city, it felt surprisingly relaxed. Coming from New York City, I noticed right away that there weren't skyscrapers everywhere or that feeling of being surrounded by tall buildings. There was more space—to look around, to breathe, and simply to be.

Once we left the city, that feeling became even stronger.

Iceland is definitely horse country. We saw horses everywhere, peacefully grazing, walking and running through the open fields. My friend Dana is a horse lover, and I could see her heart beaming with joy every time we passed another group of horses.

We also saw a flock of swans with their babies. I don't think I had ever seen so many swans together before.

Everything seemed to have space.

Space to move.

Space to breathe.

​Space to simply be.

And maybe I was beginning to feel some of that space inside myself too.

That first night, we received an unexpected gift—the Northern Lights.

Standing outside and looking up at those mysterious lights moving across the sky felt almost unreal. I couldn't help imagining that some higher power or divine spirit was somehow connecting with us.

Maybe it was simply awe. Maybe it was the feeling of being very small underneath something so vast and beautiful. Or maybe it was something more.

I didn't need to know.

​I just wanted to look up.

The next day, we went horseback riding.

Icelandic horses are incredibly gentle and smart. I was a first-time rider, but for that one hour, I somehow felt like an experienced one.

Honestly, the horse probably knew much more about what he was doing than I did.

And maybe that was exactly why I could relax.

Instead of trying to control everything, I trusted him. I felt safe and confident, and I could simply enjoy the ride.

Moving through that wide-open landscape on horseback felt dreamy, romantic and a little surreal. When we finished, everyone had a big smile on their face.

I realized it wasn't only about having a wonderful ride. There is something about connecting with an animal that brings us back to a simple and authentic part of ourselves. For that hour, there wasn't much to think about or accomplish.

We were just there.

Later, we went to the Secret Lagoon and soaked in the hot spring.

Almost immediately, we all had the same thought:

"This alone was worth traveling all these miles for."

​Our bodies softened into the warm water. Nothing needed to happen next.

It just felt perfect.

Our final day brought us completely different Icelandic weather. It rained almost the entire day.

But we put on our waterproof clothes and kept going.

We visited the waterfalls, and somehow the rain didn't seem so bad anymore. Standing near all that rushing water, hearing its power and feeling the mist around us, I was in awe again.

Mother Earth certainly knows how to put on a show.

That evening, after our last dinner, the rain finally stopped.

The sun came out.

And across the sky appeared a beautiful full rainbow.

Then we realized there were two. A double rainbow.

After the Northern Lights, the horses, the open fields, the hot spring, the waterfalls and now this, my heart was full.

What more could we possibly ask for?

But traveling isn't only about discovering a new place.

You also discover a little more about the people you're traveling with.

Spend three days together—driving in one little car, deciding where to eat, sharing schedules, dealing with rain, figuring out who needs what and when—and you start to learn quite a bit about one another!

You see everyone's strengths. You also see everyone's little habits.

And, of course, we all have them.

Something one person does to feel comfortable might make perfect sense to them…and slightly annoy everyone else.

That's human nature.

I'm sure I have plenty of my own habits that my friends quietly put up with too.

Maybe that's another kind of openness.

Friendship isn't about fitting together perfectly or expecting everyone to think, behave or travel exactly the way we do. Sometimes it's about giving each other enough room to be who we are.

​Maybe we adjust a little.

Maybe we accept a little.

And hopefully, we laugh a little too.

Looking back, I realize how much of Iceland seemed to be about openness.

Open fields.

Open sky.

Open water.

And perhaps, open hearts.

We had plans. We had places we wanted to see and things we wanted to do.

But some of the most beautiful moments couldn't be planned.

We couldn't make the Northern Lights appear.

We couldn't arrange a perfect sunny horseback ride.

We couldn't order a double rainbow after a rainy day.

We could only be there when they happened.

Maybe that's what I want to bring home with me from Iceland.

Make plans.

Choose a direction.

Keep going when the weather changes.

But leave a little space for what you didn't plan.

Space to notice.

Space to receive.

Space to be surprised.

Because sometimes, when we stay open, life gives us a little more than we asked for.

With gratitude,
Mandy

Reiki • Somatic Movement • Pilates • Yoga