The highlight of our trip to Iceland was visiting The Blue Lagoon on my husband's birthday. It was something we were especially looking forward to. Our daughter, who can't imagine why anyone would take a vacation at a place with "ice" in the name, called one night to ask if we were watching The Kardashians.
I looked at my husband across the room on the sofa and stifled a laugh. "Um no..."
"Turn it on! They are in Iceland!"
I hung up and told my husband he had to stop watching whatever he was watching because we had to watch The Kardashinas.
Are you picturing it?
I explained why and we eventually found it in time to see them at The Blue Lagoon doing what else--taking selfies. Turns out it was Courtney Kardashian's birthday and I immediately imagined taking pictures of my husband who would be turning 61 the day we would be there and using the hashtag chasingthekardashians or something equally amusing. To me and my daughter anyway.
You must buy your tickets online before arriving because they limit the number of people at any one time inside. It seems like a hassle but once you are there you can see why. It would be a totally different experience if the space was overcrowded. From Reykavik you can take a bus across the moon like landscape for the 45 minute ride. The lava rock and thick moss keep you mesmerized until you see the steam rising in the distance.
Upon arrival you check in and receive a bracelet that acts as your locker key and billing device during your stay. From there you head to the locker to strip down and put your clothes and shoes away and shower before putting on your bathing suit. There are large signs with instructions. The main thing to remember is not to drip on the locker room floor. Seriously, someone will yell at you.
After that you can enter the water. This is my husband's official birthday photo. #chasingthekardashians #perryandcourtneysbirthdayadventure Remember my other Kardashian experience? The Painful Kardashian Marathon.
Which brings me to body image. While I was looking for a place to change and shower where I wouldn't be standing around in all my glory I felt a little silly. That's because the Japanese women and European woman were standing around having entire conversations or digging in their purses while nude. I felt a little jealous. Not because they had perfect bodies to show off but because they didn't and they seemed completely unconcerned about it. Having that kind of casual acceptance of one's self is something American women don't do very well. I tried to figure out if it's our perfection obsessed culture or our Puritan inheritance. Whatever it was the answer to it was wine. Did I mention the "swim" up bar?
Part of the Blue Lagoon ritual is wearing a mask made of silica, one of the main minerals found in the water. Everyone does it and no one fells silly at all. Again...wine.
This was definitely my husband's most memorable birthday to date. All of our favorite gifts involve experiences instead of material things and Iceland on your birthday is just about as spectacular as it gets. Just ask my husband.
Or a Kardashian.
