48 hours in Iceland? Sounds a little crazy, right? With careful planning, you can surprisingly see a lot. I stopped in Reykjavík on my way home from visiting family in Poland (because why not??), and unfortunately was limited on time. So I made the most of it!

That being said, here is how I planned my trip. First, I made a list of things I knew I wanted to see, researched the amount of time each would take, and organized my itinerary. I did make sure to book all of my excursions ahead of time. This helps with planning and sticking to a strict itinerary if you are limited on time. Reykjavík is also a very popular tourist destination, meaning places book up quickly.

Below is the itinerary I followed, and highly recommend if you are short on time! (or simply ...

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It was 2012, and I was just working another shift as a waitress at a restaurant. One of my friends who I worked with suddenly came up to me and said, "Do you want to go to Australia with me for New Year's Eve??" I didn't even have to think about it before automatically saying YES. And that's where it all began...

That trip to Australia was my first time leaving North America, and I immediately knew that I wanted to see as much of the world as possible.

Ever since that first big trip, I have constantly looked for opportunities to explore new places...

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So...what exactly do I mean by a "tourist trap"?

Picture this. Imagine you are scrolling through Instagram, and you start seeing photos of this beautiful geothermal spa... steam is rising off the water, Icelandic mountains can be seen in the distance... you can almost feel the still peacefulness of the setting. You've been planning a trip to Iceland, so you add this magical place to your itinerary. The morning of your scheduled visit, you awake feeling invigorated and excited to explore this new location.

Fast forward... you arrive. The line to check in is out the door. You finally make your way through only to find swarms of other tourists in the locker room, so crowded that it takes you an hour to find an empty locker and change. You make you way care...

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