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Campervan Iceland with Happy Campers

Written by: Amanda // Category: Accommodation, Iceland, Location Reviews

Some people may find traveling around an entire country at almost 8 months pregnant to be a bit daunting, but it’s exactly what I wanted to do for our babymoon. The thought of a ten-day road trip with a baby, albeit doable, just made more sense in my head to take with just Derik and I while it’s just the two of us.

After tossing around a few countries that would be nice to take an extensive roadtrip though, we settled on Iceland, and the only way that made sense to us  (to see as much of the country as we could in our short amount of time) was to rent a campervan and travel all the way around the Ring Road.

I spent several days researching campervan companies and one particular company kept catching my eye: Happy Campers. Not only is Happy Campers one of the original campervan companies in Iceland, but it’s family owned and operated, and they really seemed to have a fun approach to traveling around the country.

The Experience

We were in our campervan for eight days, and honestly I couldn’t have imagined traveling around Iceland any other way. Sure you can find hotels and b&b’s all the way around the country, but there’s nothing like really immersing yourself in the whole road trip experience. I mean, you eat, sleep, trip plan, and drive in your van, so honestly it would be hard not to develop somewhat of an attachment with it before you leave.

Logistically speaking, our experience with Happy Campers was seamless from the start to finish. We were picked up from our hotel in Keflavik early morning after arriving into the country at 10pm the night before, and brought straight to the cheery Happy Campers headquarters. At the end of the trip, we were brought straight to the airport where we rented out a car for the last couple days we had in Iceland to explore Reykjavik and the Golden Circle.

Happy Campers Iceland HQ! Have you ever seen a more cheery rental office?!

I could not have been more impressed with the office building itself — it truly represented the company with its bright colors, happy  decor, and of course, smiling faces that greeted us. Having done a stint of that car rental life myself (post college / pre “let’s sell our things and travel the world” days), I was very relieved to find it not at all stuffy, filled with employees that wanted nothing else but to push coverage and extra features on you, or a company that rushed you out the door and into your vehicle, leaving you wondering what just happened.

We were offered coffee, given permission to raid a huge shelf of freebies previous campers had left (more on how to maximize this in a later post), shown all the details of our van, and given a brief on safety while driving around Iceland. Derik and I felt adequately prepared for the next 10 days in Iceland once we were left on our own with our shiny red Happy 1, and before we knew it, we were headed North to begin our epic road trip.

The Van

Since there was just the two of us road tripping, we decided to go with the most economical van option, the Happy 1. Not only was it the best option gas-wise but I felt completely confident from the get-go driving it around, and never felt there was any sort of issue with the van being over-sized and blown around by the wind (you haven’t felt wind until you’ve felt Iceland wind).

The van itself was very compact, and was built with very clever storage spaces for luggage, bedding, an oven, and still had room for a functioning sink, drawers for dishes, and of course the bed. We had previous campervan experience when we traveled around New Zealand for three weeks, and that van was gigantic, and I honestly feel like we never utilized the space as much as we could have!

Derik and I did our best to pack light (1 carry on + 1 personal item each) for this trip because we weren’t wanting to be burdened by luggage, and it would have been a bit difficult juggling the room behind the driver’s seats in our Happy 1.  If you require a bit more space or are a little claustrophobic I would recommend a bigger van, maybe the Happy 2 or even the Happy 3!  That being said, I rather enjoyed being comfy and cozy in our little red van, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

VAN FEATURES (outside of those already mentioned above):

-WIFI: This was the best add-on EVER! We never had to worry about being out of service to upload our videos and pictures each day, or had to worry about issues with navigation! We were also able to use it every night to plan the next day’s travel: what to see, where to stop for the night, and where to get gas.

-HEATER: Our Happy Camper was equipped with some pretty spiffy solar panels that charge a second battery for the van during the day (so you don’t have to worry about draining your main battery and the van not starting in the morning), and we were able to stay nice and toasty during the night with the heater located right under the bed!

-MANUAL TRANSMISSION: Like most vehicles in Europe, our little Happy Camper was a manual. I am so thankful the first car my father purchased for me at 16 years old was a manual, because I’ve somehow been driving them ever since, and prefer driving them over an automatic. I know manuals can seem daunting if you’re not used to driving one every day, but I promise you, Iceland roads are friendly and easily drivable even for the least-experienced [manual transmission] driver (I would only ask you pull off if you have a line of cars behind you… PLEASE).

-ROAD MAP / ICELAND BOOKS: We loved that our van came with a huge map of Iceland and a few books on the sights, rules of the road, and a bit of everything else for our road trip. The materials provided helped us plan our trip each day as we kind of took every day one at a time, the only goal being to get around the entire country in 8 days.

-BLANKETS/BEDDING: We did add-on the sleeping bags just because we were having flashbacks to our super cold campervan experience in New Zealand (the NZ van did NOT have extra heat at night), and although we used them the entire time we were in Iceland, we wouldn’t have needed them because blankets and pillows were provided.

Campervan vs. Room Stay

So why campervan instead of stay in an airbnb or hotel? Our campervan trip in New Zealand was one of the greatest memories during our year there, and I really wanted to make this babymoon memorable as well. We also had a pretty strict budget due to baby coming in December, so just crunching the numbers, the campervan route was hundreds of dollars cheaper, if not more! Plus, we did not have to worry about sticking to a rigid schedule and could drive however long we wanted to each day, and adjust according to how well we liked the area and how much we wanted to see.

I know what you’re thinking, “What about showers, hot meals, and a comfy bed? Didn’t you miss that?” The short answer: no. The thing you have to remember is campervanning is just like camping but without the tent set up and having to directly brave the elements. You get to be snug as a bug in your van while it’s raining or snowing outside, AND you have the option to cook right inside the vehicle itself! Now, if you go into the campervan experience expecting a plush, luxurious experience, you may have a hard time for the duration of your vacation. It is different. It is unique. But in my opinion, it’s 100% worth it.

About the showers and toilets: it’s illegal to camp just anywhere you please in Iceland, and you’re required to stay at an RV/camp park. These parks come fully equipped with showers (some are not free, so you’ll have to do a bit of googling to find the ones that are or else you’ll be paying 1-2 dollars per minute for that hot water), kitchens, lounge areas, and even their own thermal hot tubs/pools!

The experience of staying at these parks every night was one of my most favorite elements to campervanning. The opportunity to meet like-minded individuals from literally all over the world and maybe by chance, get to hang out several times at other parks was invaluable to me, and you don’t get that with a hotel or Airbnb. It’s fun to cross reference places to visit, give little tidbits of advice, or learn about hidden places someone else discovered or were told about by the locals.

Don’t get me wrong, our hotel stay after campervanning with its’ plush bed, fuzzy robes, and spacious accommodation was incredibly lush and heaven-like, and I soaked up every single second of it. Comparing campervanning to hotel stays is kind of like comparing apples to oranges — they’re two completely different ways to see a country, and although I feel like one immerses you more into the experience, there’s nothing wrong with either!

Iceland on a Budget

The greatest part about renting a campervan to travel around Iceland was the fact that it was way cheaper than other options we looked into on sightseeing around the country. Not only did our van cover transportation, but it was lodging, our own self-guided tour of the island, and a place to cook/eat instead of having to pay the equivalent of $20 + dollars per person, per meal. I’ll go into detail with the budget in one of my next posts, but just for a little teaser: we spent $100 on groceries the first day and that covered all 8 days in the campervan as well as breakfast and lunch the remaining two days. If we were staying in a hotel and having to eat out, $100 would have only covered a single day, maybe two if we went stingy.

I recommend campervan travel for the person who…

… would love to see all of Iceland without having to selling their first-born child to do so.

… enjoys adventure, camping, and being outside.

… is an outgoing individual that loves to immerse themselves into a culture, have chats with the locals, and make friends with other travelers! -OR- … is an introverted individual seeking solitude while exploring one of the most beautiful places on earth (you don’t HAVE to leave your campervan).

… likes to road-trip!

I plan on writing several posts on our trip to Iceland, including a detailed budget (I literally wrote down everything expense-wise while we were there), itinerary, and a post on packing for the country, but if you have any specific questions, I would also love to write an FAQ post! Please either send me an email with your questions or write them below in the comments.

If you can’t wait until the posts are up, go check out my Instagram Stories under ‘Iceland’ for the day-by-day documentation (complete with videos) of our campervan trip!

A huge thanks to Happy Campers for providing our Happy 1 during our trip! I would not hesitate to book them again, and would whole-heartedly recommend them to every single person that is considering a trip to Iceland in the future.

​

Welcome to Living in Another Language! Thanks for dropping by. We’re Derik and Amanda, a couple with a permanent case of wanderlust. Follow along with us as we travel the world. Read more about us HERE.

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2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
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Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕

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The Past

  • ►2019
    • ►April
      • Traveling During Pregnancy: First Trimester
  • ►2018
    • ►October
      • Campervan Iceland with Happy Campers
    • ►September
      • A Taste of German Tradition in Spreewald, Germany
    • ►August
      • Changes, Life in Germany: an Unpublished Year
    • ►March
      • A perfect stay at House of Bruges
    • ►January
      • An Overnight Layover in Singapore
      • A Day in Brugge, Belgium
  • ►2017
    • ►November
      • Switzerland on a Budget
      • Travel Guide to Krakow, Poland
      • Korcula Town to Stari Grad with MedSailors
    • ►October
      • Andronikos Hotel Mykonos
    • ►September
      • Sailing to Vis, Croatia
    • ►June
      • A Visit to Berchtesgaden, Germany
      • A Day in Oslo, Norway
    • ►May
      • Why it is Important to Blog for Yourself
      • Staycation at Hilton Palacio Del Rio
      • Oh Hi, We Moved to Germany
    • ►April
      • Norway in a Nutshell
  • ►2016
    • ►December
      • Finding the Perfect Christmas Gift
      • 36 Hours in Istanbul, Turkey
    • ►October
      • Visiting The World’s Largest Pumpkin Festival
      • One day in Mykonos, Greece
    • ►September
      • 10 Ways Alaska and New Zealand Are Remarkably Similar
      • Exploring the Alamo with Jord Watches
    • ►August
      • Exploring Kenai Fjords National Park with Major Marine Tours
    • ►May
      • Hiking Bodenburg Butte
    • ►April
      • 6 Tricks to Enhance your Images
      • Hatcher Pass with Pins To Kill
      • Monkey Forest, Ubud
    • ►March
      • Glamping Bali with Sandat Tents
      • Cruising Milford Sound
    • ►February
      • 5 Reasons to Book a Yacht Charter This Summer
    • ►January
      • Bali Cooking Class
      • Revisiting the Grand Mirage
  • ►2015
    • ►December
      • What to do in Mallorca, Spain
      • PNW Coast with Jord Wood Watches
      • Why Park City, Utah Should Be On Your Winter Bucket List
      • Holiday Gift Guide for the Traveler and Expat
    • ►November
      • 24 hours in Wanaka
      • Finding and Photographing the Aurora in New Zealand
    • ►October
      • A Luxury Villa Stay in Mallorca, Spain
      • 20 more travel quotes you probably haven't heard before
      • Anniversary Getaway at the Shangri-La Bosphorus, Istanbul
      • 8 Must-Try Foods in New Zealand
      • Kaikoura Dolphin Encounter
    • ►August
      • A Day in Ruedesheim
      • Living Expenses in New Zealand
      • A Romantic Stay at The Gangsa Private Villas
      • The Best Time of Day to Post on Instagram
      • 5 ways to encourage travel bloggers
      • A Luxurious Getaway at Samabe
    • ►July
      • The Other Half
      • An Adventure Tour through New Zealand
      • A Clean Slate
    • ►May
      • 5 Tips to Help Overcome Travel Anxiety
      • Staying at Sala Arun Bangkok
      • Fall in New Zealand
    • ►April
      • 6 lesser-known vacation spots you should definitely consider for 2015
      • Let's catch up.
      • Aurora Australis in New Zealand
      • Are You a Traveler or a Tourist?
      • 8 Things I Don't Like About Long-Term Travel
      • Maré, New Caledonia
    • ►March
      • 15 Blog Post Ideas for Travel Bloggers
      • 5 Reasons New Zealand Should Be On Your Bucket List
      • Finding a Place to Live in New Zealand
      • A Weekend Getaway at Kinross Cottages
      • Beachcomber Island, Fiji
      • How to Grow Your Travel Blog
    • ►February
      • Central Otago Wine Tour
      • The Best Times to Travel Internationally
      • Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
      • What 1,095 Days of Travel Has Taught Me
      • The Story Behind The Name
      • 10 Travel Quotes That Will Inspire You To See the World
      • Cruising Sydney Harbor
    • ►January
      • Let's Chat
      • The LIAL Guide to Seoul, South Korea
      • So You're Going on Your First Cruise...
      • Sunrise at St Clair Beach, Dunedin
      • 10 Ways to Save Money for Travel
      • New Years Eve in Sydney Harbor
      • What's In My Camera Bag
      • 2014-Our Year in Travels.
  • ►2014
    • ►December
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014 RESULTS
      • Travel Insurance: Yay or Nay?
      • Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography
      • And We're Off!!!
      • Yonderbound: Make Travel Planning a Breeze
      • Things All Expats Do But Won't Admit To
      • Wellington, New Zealand
      • 12 Songs for Your Travel Playlist
    • ►November
      • Why You Should Travel in 2015
      • Travel Blogging + Marriage
      • Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, Osaka, Japan
      • Things I Find Strange About New Zealand
      • Pearl Harbor
      • Five things you should do before you start traveling
      • Tunnel Beach, Dunedin
    • ►October
      • LIAL Reader Survey 2014
      • Queens Park, Invercargill
      • The 5 Types of Travel Bloggers
      • The Lunar Eclipse
      • 10 Tips to Improve Your Photography
      • Minus 5 Ice Bar, Queenstown
      • Rain Boots or Wellies?
      • What Travel Means To Me
      • Sandfly Bay, Otago Peninsula
      • Real Life Friends
    • ►September
      • Moeraki Boulders
      • A Journey Through Middle Earth: Hobbiton
      • Thoughts
      • Travel Blogging Isn't for the Faint of Heart
      • Finding Work in New Zealand
      • Radio Silence
    • ►August
      • Campervan New Zealand
      • A Case for Travel Partners
      • Getting a Working Holiday Visa in New Zealand
      • How to Survive Long-Distance Flights
      • 7 Tips to Help You Grow Your Instagram
      • Why Russell, New Zealand Should be on Your Travel Itinerary
      • 10 Things to See and Do While Visiting South Korea
      • New Zealand in Instagram Photos
    • ►July
      • Look Up
      • New Zealand Bucket List
      • Pros and Cons of Living in New Zealand (30 day edition)
      • The Suitcase Designs (New Look + Premades!!)
      • 6 of the best tropical destinations in Asia
      • Why New Zealand?
      • Not Captured on Camera
      • Pololu Valley, Hawaii
      • Thoughts On Living in a Campervan
    • ►June
      • Searching for Whale Sharks
      • Final Words on Korea
      • Moving Overseas? How to Get You and Your Belongings to Your Destination Country
      • Boracay, Philippines
      • Steel Wool Photography Tutorial
      • Things to Do in Phuket
      • Why We're Leaving Korea
      • We're Officially Announcing...
      • Living Expenses in Korea
    • ►May
      • What I Miss About Summer in the USA
      • Phuket Botanical Garden
      • Instagram Favorites
      • Monkey Beach
      • Sunburn Remedy: Instant Pain Relief and Overnight Healing
      • Change is Inevitable
      • The Negative Side to Travel
      • James Bond Island
    • ►April
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 3
      • Macro Photography Without A Macro Lens
      • 21 Household Tips and Tricks
      • Belated Blogiversary
      • Gyeongju Cherry Blossom Festival
      • Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
      • Pros and Cons of Living in Korea
      • Thoughts
      • Springtime in Geoje
      • 12 Tips on Night Photography
      • Sunday Night Market, Chiang Mai
    • ►March
      • Lately in Korea
      • White Temple, Chiang Rai
      • When Hotels Bite
      • Grand Palace, Bangkok
      • Living Minimalistically
      • Stay Out of Trouble While Traveling
      • Things Only Expats Understand
      • Maui Photo Session
      • Backpacking for 60 days
      • Long Neck Karen Tribe
      • Back Home
    • ►February
      • One Year of No-Poo
      • How to Travel Right out of College
      • Two Year Expat Anniversary
      • Valentine's Day
      • Lessons of Love (From Abroad)
      • Your Questions Answered: The Miscellaneous
      • Teaching ESL is Hard
    • ►January
      • Your Questions Answered: Expat Living
      • Tips on Moving Abroad
      • Blogging 101: When Blogging isn't Fun Anymore
      • What Not to Say to an Expat
      • Your Questions Answered: Travel
      • Initial Thoughts from the USA
  • ►2013
    • ►December
      • 2013-Our Year in Travels.
      • Geoje Sculpture Park
      • Christmas
      • Saturday's Thoughts
      • Lok Kawi Wildlife Park
      • Have I Changed?
      • Korea has Taught Me...
      • Not Home for the Holidays
      • Rokuon-ji (the golden temple)
      • I Need Your Questions!
    • ►November
      • A Post About My Hair
      • Thanksgiving: Through the Eyes of an Expat
      • Blogging 101: Time Management
      • Sandakan: River Adventure
      • How to Photograph Fireworks
      • A Recent Blog Design
      • Chuo Ward, Japan
      • Search Terms for the Win
      • Miss/Don't Miss (part 2)
    • ►October
      • Blogging 101: Using Pinterest to Maximize your Blogging Potential
      • Busan International Fireworks Festival
      • Geisha Town [Kyoto After Dark]
      • Confessions of an Expat
      • Korea: Where Random Situations Rule (on Twitter)
      • Jinju Lantern Festival
      • Quarter of a Century
      • Capture the Colour 2013
      • Do You Have Fur On Your Legs?
      • Simply Just Blogging
    • ►September
      • [Japan] Fushimi Inari Shrine
      • Homeless for Half a Month
      • I Don't Understand
      • Looking for Saltwater Crocodiles
      • Blogging 101: Advice
      • Saturday Takeover: Misadventures in Japan
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 2
      • Expat Blues
      • Snorkeling Borneo
      • LASIK in Korea? You must be kidding.
      • 500,000? That's a Big Number
      • Finding Home
      • [BORNEO] Sunsets and Coconut Water
    • ►August
      • Guess We Didn't Get the Memo
      • Korea Doesn't Care About Miley
      • Step Into My Life
      • Blogging 101: The Sponsor Game
      • Don't Get Mugged
      • Introducing...(aka HUGE NEWS)
      • Three Years Ago the Wedding Bells Rang
      • Let's Talk About 'No Poo' (FAQ 2)
      • We're Back!
      • As of Now...
    • ►July
      • Why I'm the Worst Traveler Ever
      • How To Be a Tourist in Asia
      • It Wasn't That Long Ago...
      • Blogging 101: Wordpress Plugins
      • Lately [10]
      • 30 day challenge
      • Korean Commercials Pt. 1
      • Weird Wednesday (7/17)
      • The temple on the sea
      • I love bloglovin!
      • A saturday photo session
      • Friday Funnies {7}
      • A game of charades (aka everyday life)
      • Blogging 101
      • The collective social blog hop
      • This one goes to the cats
      • This holiday we call the 4th of july
      • The good, the bad, and the ugly
      • Island camping: it's pretty nice
    • ►June
      • Friday Funnies {6}
      • Recipe: blt stuffed avocado
      • Using the shadows
      • Friday Funnies {5}
      • Camping with the locals (expat level: expert)
      • Lately [9]
      • 'No poo' frequently asked questions
      • Would you like to know? [3]
      • Friday Funnies {4}
      • Thanks for having a birthday buddha
      • Weird Wednesday 6/12 + Sponsor Spotlight {june} pt.2
      • No gym membership required
      • Friday funnies {3}
      • Would you like a cup of tea with that? (Boseong)
      • Korea: the country where random situations rule
    • ►May
      • Friday Funnies {2}
      • Lately [8]
      • Weird Wednesday (5/30)
      • Things I wish I had known...part two
      • Seoraksan favorites
      • Lately[7]
      • Friday Funnies (LINK-UP!)
      • I STILL Don't Use Shampoo
      • Weird Wednesday (05/22)
      • The thing about 'selfies'
      • Latey [6]
      • Would you like to know? [2]
      • Green smoothie: grapefruit
      • The time we went to an adult playground
      • Lately [5]
      • Things i wish i had known...
      • Breakfast in seosan
      • Lately [4]
      • Hakdong (pebble) beach
    • ►April
      • Why would i say that?
      • Recipes: fish tacos
      • Lately [3]
      • Would you like to know?
      • Weird Wednesday (4/23)
      • Friend connect bloghop
      • .org vs .com and how I almost lost it
      • Cocoppa: an ocd iphone lover's dream
      • Lately [2]
      • The candid series: busan
      • For every woman
      • DIY Lip Balm
      • Lately
      • Of 'Weird Wednesdays' and liebster awards
      • Recipes: boneless bbq chicken
      • Shopping habits
      • Out with the old...
      • I'm attracted to attractions
      • Preparing for war
      • Recipes: cheddar garlic biscuits
      • The purple mountain (Mt. Daegeumsan)
    • ►March
      • Weird Wednesday (03/27)
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part two)
      • The dentist.
      • I don't use shampoo
      • Weekly photo challenge: my korean happy meal
      • Fireworks + friends = epic
      • Thirty-three reasons why I love my job.
      • Japan: land of the rising sun
      • So...you want to be an ESL teacher?
      • Weird Wednesday (03/06)
    • ►February
      • Bored on a thursday night?
      • Osaka aquarium kaiyukan (part one)
      • The time i went to north korea (DMZ)
      • Weekly photo challenge: forward
      • A trip to the bamboo forest
      • Year one
      • Be mine
      • French press lattes
      • Weird Wednesday (02/13)
      • The bet we made with the boys
      • [Vietnam] last day in paradise
      • [Vietnam] $10 dollar scooters and free spray tans
      • Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique (Dr. Seuss)
    • ►January
      • Weird Wednesday (01/30)
      • I practice my hobbies on saturdays...
      • Weird Wednesday (01/23)
      • [Vietnam] the time i ate sea urchin
      • The candid series: farmer's market
      • [Vietnam] landing in paradise
      • Weird Wednesday (01/16)
      • 5D
      • [Vietnam] a morning in the bay
      • Weird Wednesday (01/09)
      • [Vietnam] in silent waters
      • [Vietnam] of busy streets and great food
      • Weird Wednesday (01/03)
  • ►2012
    • ►December
      • Dear santa...love, an expat.
      • Delicate
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer pt.2
      • Recipes: grandma knows best
      • I've become domesticated.
    • ►November
      • Weekend reunions
      • Bring forth the holiday cheer
      • They deserve it the most...
      • Three quarters.
      • 11/11
      • Halloween: 'korean style'
    • ►October
      • I wish I were...
      • Foreign
      • Sorry if i'm rude, i'm american.
      • Expat resources
      • As the days get colder
      • Big
      • Colors of change
      • Chuseok
      • 24
      • Top ten
      • Jasmine: not the tea or the disney princess.
      • Where do i get it? 10/4
    • ►September
      • six months plus.
      • [Bali] late night cruisin'
      • [Bali] water adventure day
    • ►August
      • Grand mirage...a piece of paradise. [bali]
      • The first of many [bali].
    • ►July
      • The dirtiest people i've ever seen
    • ►June
      • Its not always about the pictures.
      • Yeosu world expo. Basically the coolest event i've ever been to.
    • ►May
      • Seoul. It's beautiful chaos.
    • ►April
      • When did time escape me?
    • ►March
      • That BBQ Chicken...
      • Sick Days...
      • Busan
    • ►February
      • Of food and other things.
      • The Journey Over
      • The Grand Adventure
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2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love 2020 has been a year has it not? As much as I love social media, I found myself taking a break as the things we were all going through made social media so insignificant to me. 

In January/February I had a miscarriage. It was a horrible way to start the year, and little did I know it was just the beginning of it all. 

Even with the loss, hardship of moving back to the US in the middle of a global pandemic, and navigating our new lives here, we were given many blessings. The greatest of those was finding out I was pregnant again in March.

It’s a scary time to be pregnant right now, especially after a miscarriage, because doctors visits are very minimal. Also, Derik was never able to come to a single visit. I was terrified something would happen and I would be told bad news and have to face that alone. But God was gracious to us. 

We kept our special little secret to ourselves, and it wasn’t until our third trimester before we told immediate family and close friends. My pregnancy was very private for me, and a special time to bond closely with the babe growing inside me.

Our sweet little girl arrived November 30, and yes I had to deliver with a mask on, but she is perfect and I truly feel our family is complete. 💕🌈
 
“When a rainbow appears, it doesn’t mean the storm never happened or that we are not still dealing with its aftermath. It means something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy, and hope.”
I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/mons I am in love. As I’m sure every other plant/monstera collector is when you get to behold such a beauty in real life. If there were ever #plantgoals, this is it. 

Since moving from Germany, it has been a long and slow process getting our life back to normal. All of our belongings have yet to arrive so we’ve literally been camping in our house on an air bed and camping chairs for two months. 😂 All that to say, having to start my plant collection over again here stateside has been so much fun! I will miss the plant prices if Germany, but the selection here blows my mind. Anyone else obsessed? We’ve lived here for almost 8 weeks now and I already have 11 plants 😂😬😬😬. I don’t have a bed or a couch, but by golly I have greenery. 😂🤦🏼‍♀️🌱
Oh my heart. I’ve been trying to figure out the Oh my heart.

I’ve been trying to figure out the words to say about our time in Germany, but my fingers can’t seem to type out how to express my love, gratefulness, thankfulness, sadness, and heartbreak I feel about leaving. Every country we’ve lived in has taught us something and has given us so many beautiful memories, as well as opened our eyes a little more to different cultures and ways of living.

But Germany was special. The first time we stepped foot into Germany was in 2015, and we loved it so much we stayed the extent of our travel visa (3 months). I was able to visit again in 2016, and then we officially packed everything and moved in 2017. Germany has always had my heart: the people, the festivals, the food, wine and beer, the immaculate home landscaping, and even all the rules that every resident is just expected to follow to a tee (like recycling every tiny scrap of trash). Our family grew from two to three while in Germany. Bringing our daughter into the world, and raising her for a year and a half in a different culture, will be one of the most beautiful memories of my life.

Our move was impacted by the COVID pandemic, and it took three long months of delays, red tape, and countless phone calls to get everything together so we could actually get on a plane and have our stuff packed and shipped to our new home. 
I am breathing a sigh of relief to know all the stress of everything is over and our new adventure can begin. I am mourning the loss of leaving Germany. I am in a weird transition right now trying to grasp it all, but here we are jumping into new things head first! We are back in the US for a while, in the beautiful state of Tennessee, and look forward to many new memories, travels, friends, and being able to spend time with family! 
Photos from my sweet and talented friend @juliejayphotos
I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas m I feel like I failed hard this year at Christmas markets. We went to a total of ONE market, which is exactly 19 less than I told myself I would go to this year to make up for not going to any the year before 🤦🏼‍♀️(I was 40 weeks pregnant and not feeling crowds). I will say, it was a great one and the weather was so nice, we stayed out until the market shut down.

If there’s one thing I will miss most about Germany when it is our time to move, will be the sheer enthusiasm this country has for Christmas, and I’m not talking about consumerism. Food, laughter, friends, family, music, dancing: celebration. Also, Germany shuts down for not only one day, but THREE. Stores are closed, mail is not delivered, people aren’t out and about. Everyone is home enjoying time with family, and I love it. However, I may have gone into full blown panic mode Christmas Eve when I realized I had a total of 8 diapers to get us through until the 27th. 👀
We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whist We spent Thanksgiving back in North America: Whistler, Canada! A 10 hour flight from Germany , and I can’t say this one was better than the one we took over the summer on our trip to Alaska, but we survived! Entertaining a 11 month old for that long is much harder than a 6 month old, especially when they aren’t into sleeping on the plane AT ALL. 🤪

Whistler was beautiful despite the lack of snow, and we enjoyed our time with family, the delicious food, and as much sightseeing as one could do with a jet-lagged baby. 
This was actually my first trip to Canada ever, (unless you want to count the move my parents took up to Alaska from Arkansas when I was two. 😂🤷‍♀️ ) and I loved it! We would really like to take a big Canadian road trip someday and explore more of the country! 😍😍🇨🇦
Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time t Being a mama may mean I don’t always have time to put myself together, but I would rather spend the extra moments making special memories with our daughter that she can cherish forever. I doubt that she will look at this picture and see a tired, messy haired mama that’s barely had time to wash her face nevermind carefully apply makeup, but am hoping she will see a mama that never tires of carrying and cuddling her, or sharing new experiences with her. 💕
Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a coup Oh Switzerland, you beaut.🇨🇭 We spent a couple days enjoying the beautiful weather in the land of chocolate, cheese, mountains, and cows with bells 😍😍🤩. If you remember, we visited the same area  a month shy of two years ago but but the weather was quite the opposite! I’d have to say though, when you visit such a majestic and beautiful area, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, you’re going to be in awe and love it anyway!
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