I made a promise to myself a couple of years ago: 30th birthday, Iceland.

And this morning, I had to laugh at myself, in the middle of the frickin’ Blue Lagoon, after spending my entire 30th on an airplane just to get here. You really did it, crazy girl. I thought. I’m so far from home.

I totally get how this thing is the perfect tourist trap: get weary travelers from all over the world and dump them into a glorious hot bath with breathtaking mountains all around. While you’re at it, offer them frozen algae masks that they can smear on their faces as they sip on strawberry Skyr smoothies. Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Tourist trap or not, this place is aaaamazing. The best part, I think, is having the ice cold air on your face (with or without the cool algae mask) + being all nice and toasty everywhere else. Stay in until all your insides turn to mush and you’re ready to sleep, sulfur + salt hair be damned.