Alone at the Kjolur trek
Iceland, Europe, 2008
Don’t be scared to walk alone.
Don’t be scared to like it.
— John Mayer
When I started considering Iceland as a travel destination, I met a hiking enthusiast in the USA, who happily shared his Iceland wish list. He even happened to have the Lonely Planet for Iceland in his backpack, and kindly let me borrow it for a week.
Slightly overwhelmed by this ‘coincidence’ I agreed to take the guidebook. Flipping through the pages, taking in the photos and the information, my wanderlust and my wish to visit Iceland immediately grew. And so it happened that I started preparing for my Iceland journey while attending a communication workshop in the USA.
It is late June 2008, just after the mid-Summer night celebrations, when I land at Keflavik airport. In the days following my arrival I put the finishing touches on the preparations for my first solo trek.
Waiting at the Reykjavik bus station, there is a crowd of travelers, and looking at their packs I assume that they too are setting out on a hiking trip. I am feeling slightly worried that it might get a bit busy on the Kjolur trek.
The worries are short-lived. When the bus arrives, I happen to be the only hiker hopping on. The others are clearly going elsewhere. My worries of it being too crowded are instantly replaced by a sense of panic. Honestly? Can I be the only one going on this trek?