Mr NYC in Iceland

Once upon a time I went to Iceland -- "once upon a time" being almost 30 years ago.

I was 12, and had never heard of this country before my dad thought it would be a good idea to take me there for a two week tour.  I remember people asking us, "Why would anyone go there?"  When I returned to school from summer vacation and told my schoolmates that I'd gone to Iceland, I was mocked for doing something so boring and dumb. Whatever its name implied, going to Iceland was not "cool."

Well it turns out that my hopeless square father was ahead his time -- today, Iceland is a very popular tourist destination. 

In fact, like so many places that become popular quickly -- leading to big influxes of people and cash -- the small Arctic country is struggling to adjust to their newly "cool" status. There is a run on hotel rooms, restaurants, tours -- the demand is outstripping the supply. Like the city of Venice, more people now visit Iceland every year than live there and its straining this modest country's resources. 

So what makes Iceland so popular these days? Why the sudden tourist boom?

Well, here's my theory: it's a GORGEOUS country with volcanoes and natural hot springs and glaciers. Simply being out in nature there is a wondrous, therapeutic experience. Then there's the people -- they're very nice, extremely friendly, and HOT. Oh my god, Iceland is nothing but gorgeous people, even their ugly people are gorgeous, it's just a country full of unbelievably good looking people -- which naturally makes people, especially men, want to go there. And the people in Iceland like to party --  the capital, Reykjavik, is a big party town. And it's cheap (or was). And, in the summer, it's cool and comfortable -- not hot and gross. In short, Iceland is just a very nice place to go and kick back, experience nature, hang out, and feel zen.

My trip was a tour of the natural wonder of this beautiful place -- lots of glaciers, volcanoes, and such. We ate lots of lamb and fish (the staple foods) and bought cheap, incredibly comfortable  wool sweaters. On our last day, we even flew to the very end of the island and saw the coast. All in all, an amazing experience.

I'd highly recommend going to Iceland if you can -- it's only about a four-hour flight from NYC and it's a great stopover if you want to go on to Europe (Iceland is technically part of Europe, the country closest to our shores). 

Interesting fact: Iceland has the world's longest operating Parliament, going strong since 930 AD. Iceland is a democracy that takes amazing care of its citizens and is extremely politically progressive.

Iceland is an amazing place -- and seems to be finally getting its due.