Project "Heimförin" Part 1

Homeward bound, I'm going now

The thoughts are there,

Light in the night, you search for it

Fire for me,

It is the heaviest trial, this uneven lava.

The heaviest trial, this uneven lava.

This uneven lava

Glimmering dew, ripple the lake

Raise the mountains blue

Raise the mountains.

I walk alone, lonely prayer

Never forget it

Never forget.

The travel is long, tired I shuffle forward on the road anyway

Forward on the road anyway

Homeward bound, I'm going now

The thoughts are there,

Thoughts there.

Light in the night, you search for it

Fire for me,

Fire for.

It is the heaviest trial, this uneven lava.

The heaviest trial, this uneven lava.

This uneven lava

These are the freely translated lyrics of Ásgeir Trausti's song Heimförin, a song that always always always connects my heart to the place I long to be. There is also an English version of this song, but it doesnt touch my heart as much as the Icelandic version, though the translation is done quite acquarate.

Project Heimförin

It's 8 more weeks waiting... My holiday to Iceland is getting a more and more serious turn, now I am in talk with some natives who help me getting to move to Iceland. Its funny how things are speeding up now, because I know I am so good with delaying things, put them on the long term list. But now, since I set for myself some sort of date/limit, things go rapid, they stir it up and push me forward. I was just for myself setting a goal as spring 2017 seeing where it would bring me, but ever since I did, things fall into place, it makes me feel its the choice I have to make. And maybe it is a bit scary, maybe it is a bit tough to leave behind things I am attached to. Leave the security behind and take this leap to uncertainty, especially if you are alone and barely have the money. But I dont want to be stuck in a live I cant move forward anymore, where I am merely am waiting for the day I die regretting more and more the chances I didnt take. 38 Years of my life I tried to make things work in a place I dont want to be. Following my dreams, but never came clear to the goals I wanted to reach.
Few times luck was on my side, but never was what I hoped for it to be. Last year I was close to feel like finally getting somewhere but even that dream got broken into a million pieces that never can be made whole again. And yes I am afraid that project "Heimförin" is also not what I hope it will be. But at least it is what makes me happier than staying here.

Iceland is not far away, but being depending on a plane or a boat for those who have time, make it a more complicated mission. You cant just smuggle in stuff, I really have no choice in throwing away or sell lots of stuff, and the most tiring part is of course taking the cats. Besides being expensive, I also am not allowed to take their stuff with me. Everything will be destroyed if I try, so everything I have to buy again in Iceland, or take with me buying it here brandnew still wrapped in original package. So I am not even thinking of taking a lot with me anyway, saving the money to take them with me. Soon I will start off with preparing them, with a first not yet needed (it has to be done max 30 days before they travel but by then I should have booked and arranged their travel & quarantaine loosing all this money if they fail this test...) but more handy bloodtest for two diseases in which case they return positive, there is no way they can come with me. :-( So Im also bloody nervous if this test will return positive, what will I need to do then? Leave them behind and go alone? Finding them another home? Not going? Put them down? The last is of course no option... but what if.... it worries me. Im trying to figure out if they got tested when they came from Egypt. They must have been... but I cant find anywhere. I am quite certain they both are negative. I hope I hope... and then I will need the 2500 euros to start the process taking months to have them with me. I love my cats too much :-( Trying to crowdfund, but no one seems to help me out with so much sadness in the world.

For myself I have been taking another step towards realising my dreams. I have applied for a bank account and kennitala, the ID number I need to live in Iceland. Without it, you cant do anything. Not renting a house, not getting work, not getting insurrance... and never each citizenship something I really consider. Only be a tourist. Well its fairly easy getting this ID number, by opening a bank account. So thats started. In three weeks I hopefully have this all fixed.
And I already have an Icelandic phone number given by a dear person. Needs to be activated still though, but I am not quite sure if I will keep this number. Have to see how to use it and how to put credit to it, because it might be one connected to someones bank account, and I refuse that. Because I dont see this person anymore, and there is no way I will either.

So... today important steps are taken. Thanks to some kind Icelandic people who help me out creating my dream. And for those curious friends, no there is nothing particular with them. Icelandic people are just very nice :-) and those help me keeping an eye out for jobs and a cheaper cat friendly place to live. And help me in anything I may stumble on. And I suppose and sure hope without any other intention. No reason to believe that either.

I also took my steps on learning the language, though the best way to do is following a crash course in Icelandic when I am there. Nicely tugged away in the Westfjords 2 weeks intensive language education. We will see! 

Basicly said... moving to Iceland is taking a serious step, and why?

- Because my age will soon work against me
- Because I am tired of the life I am living here in Helland
- Because the fear is taking hold of me that Holland and Europe as I know it is crumbling to pieces and the black dresses are making the life of sensitive me living alone unbearable.
- Because I dont believe true love is waiting for me right here. I might be appearing like the everlasting single in my family, but thats mainly due to the fact that I never longed for a life here, I knew it ever since I was little, I dont want to die here. And love would keep me here locked up forever. Im not gonna say I will find it in Iceland, but Im ready if I am happy. I cant be happy in Netherlands...So?
- Because I will never do the job I love so much in Netherlands. Horses are where my heart is, and at least in Iceland its horses everywhere and much more easy and cheaper to have a horse for myself if the job fails. If I stay in Netherlands I am 100% sure I will never ever own a horse and probably never even touch or ride one, because life makes this impossible. I live here to be enslaved to the Dutch state, earning just enough to pay everybody else and starve of hunger and lack of social release doing things I love.
- Because every day more and more I dislike my work, where they seem to like it to have me work alone, they seem to do anything they can to make you want to leave. I made the mistake to tell them what I like in my work, and they will use it against you. Tell them who you like to work with and you will never work with them again. Tell them what you like to do most, and you will not do it. So I told them who I like to work with, and even that one day of the week, they cant schedule me to work with them. EVER SINCE LAST evaluation, I NEVER worked with them. Period. Its months ago. All I do is being separated from my so needed social interaction with humans, always working alone. I hate it. I really do...
- Because every day (sometimes twice), no matter what time, I just know I hear Icelandair plane flying over me. Easy to say it goes every day the same time. Not true... Today it was 3 hours delayed, and 15 minutes ago I wandered off to my window and looked out, and there it was... amongst hundreds of other planes that fly over every day, I nearly always pick out Icelandair... and the more it happens the more I crash in tears wishing I was on that plane. But I know... 8 weeks exactly I will. I will already be in Iceland if it is in time. 
- Because so many volcanos in Iceland are on the brim of getting a huge vomit attack, Hekla, Katla and Bardarbunga are more than ready to spit their vomit, and I would like it to see it from a safe distance. I cant if I depend on 2 weeks a year holiday in Iceland.
- Do I need more reasons? No I just want to go there. As soon as possible... :-)


So... with no future in sight for me here, I want to take the step. I want to live my dream. It may not be easy at all, but I feel the time is getting about right. And actually, Im very excited about it. If it wasnt for the cats, I would have gone much sooner, but the money... I wish I had it straight away, could have a loan or won a lottery. But I can't... have to struggle hard to afford this, and hope future smiles at me.

I will call my project "Heimförin", after the song of Ásgeir Trausti, the one  started this blog with. And now I will also include the You Tube to this song.

Future blogs about this possible move to Iceland will be named Project Heimförin from now on. To keep them separated from my general travel blogs. I may not push them to my Facebook page though. So if interested, you can follow my blog here on Google. Or if you like, I can try to create some sort of mail list thing... :-)
I firstly had another name for this project, but I changed it to this after reading this English translation and almost shed into tears because of that. Thats so typically me!

Iceland 2016 PLANNING part 2

Finally I took the time and effort to arrange my stays in Iceland. So now it is definite that Im going to northern Icelnd again.

Firstly I arranged a stay in Akureyri. Or well, it was supposed to be in Akureyri but somehow things went a bit complicated. I found a working farm with authentic housing in the area nearby. I checked out rooms, made decisions, computer crashed I returned got a message someone was checking out the guesthouse too to urge me to book the superdeal quickly. Well that was my plan too of course, but what I didnt notice, it was another building at the same farm functioning as a hotel. I rather stay at guesthouses because that gives you an authentic Icelandic feeling. So I wondered where is the wooden floor? Where is the all area wifi? Why is the room bigger but the price cheaper? And then I noticed, I booked the hotel in stead of guesthouse with the cozy fireplace, kitchen and bbq to use. Thank goodness both have (the same?) hottubs. Finally one with a good view and hopefully without spiders and dead flies and/or floating grub.

This place is however on the other side of the bay than Akureyri, a ten minute drive. Thats not much in Icelandic terms. But at least its close to Laufas which I hope will be open. And plenty of time to stroll around Akureyri.

But before I get to Akureyri I have to stay one night in Reykjavik area. Prices were boombing there far over 100 euros a night while I stay at the 50 euro range, as I dont want to stay at sleepingbag accomodations. So, this time I booked for Akranes for 35 euro's in a nice guesthouse with hot tub (I have hot tubs at all places hurray!). Saving me a bit of time driving up north the next day. Its just for the night, the next day I will leave early for a busy day. Driving to Akureyri will take 6 hours, but I will visit Skagafjordur, where the biggest horse roundup of Iceland takes place. Sadly I pass by on Friday, when the horses come from the mountains, but no idea how late and exactly where. Time enough to figure out, but maybe I will just go try visit some horsefarms around Holar. I want to see options to own horses in Iceland while not living there, would like to have 2 or 3 youngsters to grow up there, and by time they need training be around. They told me its not expensive to keep horses that way. And then I also visit some other interesting places.

In Akureyri I stay 2 nights, one day to explore Akureyri, do some shopping and on last day visit Laufas (hopefully open on Sundays) Godafoss again and Myvatn, Dimnuborgir, Grottagjá and if there is time a little hike near Reykjahlid.
Then move on to Husavik, capital of the whales very close to the arctic circle. There I also have a nice guesthouse for 3 nights. And in this time I want to drive the Diamond circle as much as I could, because some part is gravel road, accesible for normal cars, but if there is lot of other cars, flying gravel can seriously screw my car. So I have to see circumstances. Might as well cut the circle into pieces here. Spend a day at Hljodaklettar and Ásbyrgi and finally meet Déttifoss. And spend the day Im moving on to Gauksmyri on the southern part of the circle.

After my time in Husavik its time to return towards Reykjavik, but first stay 5 nights at Gauksmyri, indulging in my once a year horse walhalla. That story is known, riding lots of horses, partying, rounding up the horses, attend the sorting, enjoy the great food and atmosphere of my 'second home'. A great moment to catch up with friends again.

My last nights in Iceland I stay in Ytri Njarðvik again, on the other side of the inlet/bay where I stayed last year. I had a good time there, but I rarely return to the same place again, but especially not to this place because of well... whatever. I am not obliged to explain myself further here. So now I view it from the other side. And they also have a hot tub overlooking the bay. Would be good to enjoy some northern lights dancing over Snæfellsjökull in the faaaar distance on my last night. :-)

So thats basicly the 2016 trip to Iceland in planning. It may be the last time in this setting, because as I announced in another blog, I hope I can manage to move to Iceland in spring 2017 because my life here is just hitting dead ends on whatever I am trying to do to make my life worth living. I am tired of that, and I dont want to live the rest of my life the way I do now. Die alone and achieve nothing, no dreams coming to reality. I have to do something to change it. So there I am.