Thinking about Iceland might conjure up images of rugged mountains, cute puffins, and nice long soaks in geothermal baths. But when I think of Iceland, the first thing I think of is my mom. That’s because on a recent Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic expedition cruise, I watched her face her fears to live out a lifelong dream. And for me, watching her do so was every bit as inspiring as the glaciers, waterfalls, and wildlife of Iceland.
Facing her biggest fear in Iceland
My mom is deathly afraid of open water and doesn’t know how to swim. Yes, we were on a cruise in the middle of the ocean. But from the safety of the ship, everything was fine. Then we learned expedition cruises use inflatable motorized rafts called zodiacs to get from the ship to a landing spot to go ashore. On the first day using a zodiac, my mom was a little worried, but since the waters were relatively calm she felt okay.
Making a plan
Then we made it to Djúpivigor. This was the supposed highlight of the trip for my mom, the day she would see a glacier, a black sand beach, and incredible waterfalls. The day started with an announcement on the ship’s intercom system that the waters were rough so we may want to wear waterproof pants, shoes, and jackets off the ship to the zodiac. I could instantly see the anxiety on my mom’s face and knew she was contemplating not going out at all.
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After talking to the ship’s onboard Expedition Leader, Leah Eaton, a plan was made. My mom would ride in a zodiac with Gerard Baker, one of the burly men who were part of the Lindblad expedition team. On the zodiac ride to shore, Baker made sure Mom was comfortable. He also latched onto her life vest. He was not going to be letting her fall into the freezing waters that I had willingly jumped into earlier in the week during a polar plunge.
We made it to shore and I could see Mom breathe a sigh of relief, but our adventure was just beginning. On the drive to the Vatnajökull ice cap, the winds started to pick up. We made it to the black sand beach, then over to the ice lagoon of Jökulsárlón. At the ice lagoon, my mom and I, plus about 20 other guests of the expedition cruise, got onto a sort of duck boat that would take us out into the iceberg-filled lagoon.
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The glacier lagoon cruise was beautiful until water started coming over the side of the boat through purposeful slits in the hull and onto the deck. Even though our captain reassured us we were completely safe, Mom was terrified. One of the naturalists from the ship, Laura Mony, came and sat with her to to help calm her down until our cruise was over and we were able to get back to dry land.
A near catastrophe for my mom
After a long day in Jökulsárlón, it was finally time to head back to the ship. Except the wind had gotten so high that the road back to the ship was closed. On top of that, the ship had to leave the safety of the fjord it was originally anchored in due to the crashing waves. We later learned that anyone who did the alternate excursion, a 4×4 jeep ride, faced nearly 15-foot swells getting back onto the ship via Zodiac. The ship had to move to us, which meant getting into a zodiac to navigate the calm waters of the harbor and then the rougher waters of the vast open ocean.
Again, Baker was there like an old friend to help my mom. She was terrified, hands shaking, but convinced herself that she had to do this. Baker made sure my mom was safe, despite the swells that splashed water up onto us. At one point Baker asked what my mom was doing as she looked down at the diamond-patterned grey flooring of the zodiac. She responded, “I’m counting the diamonds.” This was her coping mechanism to keep her mind off of the water. When I asked her later, she said she counted over 200 diamonds.
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We made it back to the ship, and who was waiting for us back at base camp but Eaton, who immediately came over to my mom and said she had been thinking about her specifically all day. She also mentioned how proud she was of my mom to face her fears. In that moment I knew that I wasn’t the only one who was cheering for my mom as she took on her biggest foe in Iceland.
The Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic difference comes to life in Iceland
A big thing I learned while traveling around Iceland is that the guides, leaders, and crew want to be sure everyone gets what they want out of a trip. If that means staying on the ship to see the beauty of the country from the warmth of the lounge, that’s fine. If that means getting off the ship every day, that’s great too.
On more than one occasion, I saw expedition leaders and naturalists making sure that everyone made it to the top of the mountain on hikes. I saw crew members from the ship making sure some of the older guests were able to get off the ship safely, whether it was on a wet landing via zodiac or a dry landing where we were able to dock at a pier. I saw naturalists helping guests with limited mobility don lifejackets so the guests could get off the ship.
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At the end of the sailing, I heard a naturalist tell another guest that the naturalists were on board not only to educate people but also to ensure guests see everything they can. The naturalist continued by explaining that if there’s a way they can make the ship or destination more accessible to guests who may have fear or limited mobility, they are determined to figure out how to do it.
Traveling with my parents always teaches me something
Even in my early 30s, I’m always surprised by my mom’s willingness to push herself—even when she’s afraid—to do things she really wants to do. I’ve traveled extensively around the world with both my mom and dad. Moments like this in Iceland remind me that parents really are the best travel buddies because just as they push their kids to try new things or better themselves, parents push themselves, too.
