Reykjavík

I wasn’t sure the exact date I could leave for Europe until just a few weeks before my trip, so by the time I started looking for flights, the only ones I could afford were those with fairly significant layovers. I decided I wanted to fly through a place I hadn’t been before, preferably with enough time to actually leave the airport and explore a bit.  IcelandAir offered a flight to Paris with an eighteen-hour layover in Reykjavík, which, I reasoned, would give me an entire day there and plenty of time to experience the city.

My flight landed at the Keflavik International Airport at 6:20am on September 15th.  The airport (Iceland’s largest) is located about 50km southwest of Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík; it’s approximately a 45-minute drive to get from the airport to the Reykjavík city center and there are busses that run every half hour or so between the two points. A good portion of the bus route runs along the coast, and my first glimpses of Iceland – illuminated by the early morning light from the sunrise – were absolutely spectacular.

The bus stopped at several hotels on the way into the city center.  The center was the final stop, and by the time we’d arrived, there were only two of us left (evidently, all of the other passengers were actually staying overnight).  We disembarked on the side of what appeared to be a very busy and industrial road, the driver pointed vaguely in the direction of a bakery where we could get breakfast, and we we were left to our own devices.

New Chapter

For the past sixteen months, I’ve worked as a chef at The Farmhouse at Veritas, a bed & breakfast in Afton, Virginia adjacent to Veritas Vineyard and Winery.  I decided recently to move back to Boston, where I lived for six years during and after university.  Central Virginia is a beautiful area, but I’ve missed living in a city; and Boston, where I still have an extensive network of friends that remained in the city after school, feels in many ways like home.  I’m excited about the move, but the decision to leave Veritas was also very bittersweet.

Yesterday was my last day at the winery.  The experience I had there was absolutely incredible.  I can’t even begin to put into words how grateful I am to have had that opportunity.  I learned so much in my year and a half at the winery, and I had the immense privilege of working with (and for) amazing people that not only taught me a great deal, but also made me truly feel like family.  I am so grateful for all of the experiences I had during that time, and for the wonderful friendships I formed.  So thank you, Veritas, and to everyone that made my time there what it was.

At the end of October, I’ll be starting a new job at Sportello, part of the Barbara Lynch Gruppo in Boston, which serves trattoria-inspired Italian dishes.  Until then, I’ve taken a month off to travel in Europe – primarily in Italy, but a few other countries as well.  This will be my first time back in Italy since leaving in May of 2014, and I’ve missed it… so unbelievably much.

I’m beyond excited for the future – for Europe, for Boston, and for whatever else it may hold.  More soon!