Iceland Travel Chat with Elisa in Iceland

TMP 101 - Elisa in Iceland
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Meggan: Hey everyone. And welcome back to the travel mug podcast. This is Meggan. And as always I'm joined by my co host Jenn. And on this week's episode we are joined by Elisa Hanssen. Elisa currently resides in Iceland as she has for many years. She's originally from the Netherlands, but fell in love with the country as so many of us have, and now makes her life and her living there. We are so excited to talk to you about Iceland and everything you personally have going on there. So welcome to the show.

Elisa: Thank you! I'm happy to be here.

Meggan: Excellent. So you, like I just mentioned originally from the Netherlands, uh, my husband and I are actually heading to Amsterdam in late September this year. So just talk to us a little bit about growing up there and your experience prior to moving to Iceland,

Elisa: Um, yeah, so I grew up in the south of the Netherlands. And, when I wanted to study, I moved all the way to the other side of the country, which is like three or four hours away, which is far, far, far away. And then, uh, after studying, I moved to the West where like, um, all the media companies are. And I, I worked in media for some years.

So, uh, so I lived everywhere in the Netherlands and saw every part of it, yeah, growing up. So it's, it's a nice country, but not as great as Iceland. Um, Um

Meggan: nothing is.

Jenn: Yeah. So you obviously now call Iceland home. So you went to Iceland originally for a few months to try to, like, slow down and, you know, take a break from your busy life. But then you ended up staying or going back to stay. So how did all of this come to be? Like, talk to us about the logistics of actually moving to an entirely new country.

Elisa: well, like I, I wasn't really planning to move at all because like the first time I came to Iceland, I was, , just on a holiday for, for a few days and I actually went because, the radio station that I worked at, they were playing a lot of Icelandic music at the time, uh, and I really loved the music. So I was like, Oh yeah, Iceland.

Yeah, I, I had wanted to go there at some point, but I just didn't think about it for some time. And then, so I went there on holiday just to like calm down a little bit and I went on a horseback ride and the girls that were working there, they were saying like, Oh, it's really easy to get a job here in summertime because they always search for, um, foreigners to work here because there's just so many tourists coming and there's not enough Icelandic people to work in tourism.

So I just thought like, Oh, interesting, good to know. And then I went back to the Netherlands and I cried on the plane. I was just like, I was devastated that I had to go back because I loved it so much. And then, my landlord, he decided that he wanted to sell the house that I was living in.

So I was like, Hmm, I have to move. Where am I going to live now? Um, and I was working at the job in, uh, in media for some, some years already. So I thought like, maybe it's also nice to do something else after like the sixth Ed Sheeran concert, I was like, Oh, again. So, so I just thought like, if that's how I feel, like going to these concerts again and thinking like, Oh, I have to do it again. Then maybe it's time to change things a little bit. So I actually started searching for jobs, uh, as a horse riding guide. Because that was something that I always wanted to do when I was growing up, uh, or just like work with horses, not necessarily horseback riding guide, but anyway, um, So yeah, I found a place in the North and, I thought like, I'm going to stay there for three months and then three months turned into six months and six months turned into a year.

And then I was like, Oh, just one more year, one more year. So now that's like more than eight years ago now. So it just escalated a little bit. I was never planning to move just happened actually.

Meggan: Right, right. And you have to talk to us about, was your radio station playing the Icelandic music, or how did that piece come about, or how did, why did you go there for work? Like, what were the original trip?

Elisa: Um, so I, I didn't go for work, but because, um, there was one Icelandic

Meggan: Oh, okay.

Elisa: called Ásgeir um, and he, like, he was like up and coming at that time. Um, And we were playing a lot of like, , up and coming music at our radio station. So we were playing a lot of like,

Meggan: I see.

Elisa: like pop music that was already like sat like there, uh, but also a lot of up and coming music.

And he was, yeah, we played him a lot at that time. It was like really dreamy, beautiful music. His name is Ásgeir Trausti, look him up. His music is amazing. So yeah, that was kind of the reason that I thought like, Oh, I want to like see Iceland and listen to this music at the same time.

Meggan: I see.

Jenn: Yeah.

Meggan: Got you understood. That makes a lot of sense. And so you mentioned, of course, to, when you visited, you went on the, uh, horse adventure, you would always been interested in that as well. So when you found this, this job there, were you able to move there as part of being a part of the European union?

Did you have to get a special visa to move there? Like, how did this job become a reality?

Elisa: No. So if you're from the EU, uh, and Iceland is not in the EU, but it's in the Schengen agreement. So you don't need a visa or So, um, I don't know. Within the Schengen Agreement, you can just move to another country or, or work in another country, and you don't need a visa or anything. So I guess it's similar to like in the States, moving between the States, um, uh, or in Canada also probably, I assume, but I know a little bit more about the U. S. So, um, So I guess that's similar to that. So you don't, we don't need a visa or anything. that's also why there's a lot of, uh, Europeans working in Iceland during, especially during the summertime. So it's very easy.

Jenn: Mm hmm.

That makes sense.

Elisa: it's

Jenn: And, like, I'm super jealous because, like, being from Canada, I mean, I could move to another place in Canada, but it's it's still,

Meggan: seems

Jenn: It's the but same but the idea of just being able to like, it's beautiful. I think we're sick of it here.

Aren't we Meggan?

After

Meggan: Yeah.

Jenn: spending the pandemic in Canada, we're like, please let me out. It's just so interesting that, you can just move to, you know, if you, if you're from the Schengen area and moving within, that's really cool and, um, really great experience for people to be able to do. I want to know about the actual moving, like how much stuff did you take with you?

Because that, that intimidates me.

Elisa: Well, because I wasn't planning to move, like I wasn't planning to move at all. I just wanted to go and work there for three months. And I actually, my plan was to, work in Iceland for some time and then maybe go and travel through the U. S. but at that was November 2016. And then some orange potato got elected in the U. S. And I was like, I don't really want to go there.

Jenn: thanks.

Elisa: Um, so, so then I was like, Oh, actually it's Trump's. fault that I am still in Iceland. So I just to thank him a lot for this,

Meggan: Mm hmm.

Elisa: how things worked I'm really

Jenn: There's a

Meggan: for you.

Jenn: Yeah,

Elisa: such a good guy. Like I really liked that he did this for me. Um, so, so yeah, was actually the plan.

So I didn't bring a lot of stuff. I just have one suitcase and like a backpack. So that was all that I had. Yeah, and I mean, I have gathered a little bit more stuff now, but I like I wasn't moving into a new flat without anything like I was just moving into, uh, one of the rooms in the guest house that I was working at and horse rental.

Um, so I didn't need stuff. I just needed clothes.

Jenn: That's fair. That makes sense. Yeah, because packing up everything and moving it. Yeah.

Elisa: Before I came to Iceland, because I thought like I'm going to go to Iceland and then like travel around. Uh, so I thought like, I'm going to be gone for a year so. So I actually did like sell all my stuff in the Netherlands. Like I sold everything and, or gave it away. Or like, I had party where all my friends could just like, take the books that they liked or whatever.

I kept a few books, but, but just like, I just tried to like get rid of it all, which was actually like a really freeing experience because then you just, you're not like responsible for all this stuff anymore. And you're, you don't look at the bookshelf and like, I still have to read that book. I still have to do that.

And so it was a really nice experience actually. Like I was really afraid that I would miss all my stuff or something, but it's really not like that at all. So. I can highly recommend just getting rid of one time in your life.

Meggan: I actually can, I can, I can imagine how that would be because whenever I do sort of any kind of like cleaning out of stuff or drawers of clothing and getting rid of things I don't wear anymore, it feels so amazing. So just to get rid of everything would probably be like you said, such a freeing experience.

Elisa: Yeah. And I mean, I, I didn't have a lot of stuff anyway, because I was living with my friends together in an apartment before I moved. So it wasn't like I had to like empty my whole house. It was just like stuff. Um, so, um, but it was like, I really loved the experience of just getting rid of everything.

Meggan: I could see that. Yeah. Yeah.

Jenn: Yeah, for sure. So, let's talk about Iceland, specifically. So, there's so much to do, and Meggan and I, um, I've been twice. Meggan is she's currently planning her second visit. So we obviously both love it there. , there's so much to do, especially out in nature. So what are some maybe like activities or like hobbies that you've picked up since you've moved there?

Elisa: Yeah. So I have so many things that I had never expected to do in my life ever. And one of the things is stand up paddle boarding. I like, I have this really fear for like deep water, but on the board, it's not so bad. So I don't know how that happened. Um, but yeah, a friend of mine, she went to paddle boarding and I was like, Oh, I want to join.

And then I had a board all of a sudden. So, um, I never expected that I would really like doing that. And like photography is also like, I never touched a camera before I came to Iceland, my phone camera, but that was it. And in the, the radio studio, sometimes we had to like take pictures of the, of the artists that were playing there.

So we had like fancy cameras there, but I was always like, Oh no, someone else take this camera. Like, I don't know how this works. I don't, I don't get it. So I. really never touched a camera before I came here and now I'm just obsessed with photography. So it's a very photogenic country. So it's really, really easy to make beautiful photos. So yeah, it's an easy hobby to have here in Iceland. And I also never expected that I would be knitting sweaters. Like that is also like something I would, I had never thought about in my life, but everyone's knitting here. So you kind of like get lured into it. So.

Meggan: Lured into the knitting society, I love that.

Elisa: I mean, knitting is maybe not something you can do as a, or you can do it as a tourist, but like, it's not the most interesting thing if you are for the nature, maybe.

Meggan: But photography definitely is. And that's what I wanted to ask you about because you're exactly right. Like it is one of the most photographic photogenic, I should say, countries I've ever been to. So talk to us about how you picking up maybe, um, you know, a fancier camera than a phone camera has evolved for you over the years.

Do you sell your photography? Like, talk to us about how that evolution happened for you in terms of photography piece.

Elisa: Yeah, so the first year that I was here, I just, I only had my phone camera, and I was already making like, Quite nice pictures with that. So, um, some of my friends in the Netherlands, they were like, Oh, you should make a calendar, uh, with these photos. And they were just like phone camera photos. So I did that and it sold quite well.

So then I thought, okay, maybe I need a fancy camera. So I got camera and, uh, started photographing more. And then, like, I mainly like photographing horses or landscapes because I was working with the horses, so I knew them all very well, so it's nice to, like, photograph them also. And landscapes, of course, because everything's beautiful here.

Um, but then, like, Since a few years, I've been like selling my photography as well. So, every few months I try to do like a, , limited edition photo collection, um, and sell them. So that's been, uh, yeah, since two years approximately, I think. No, I started with the limited editions. Last year, but like two years before that, I was already like selling some photos here and there.

So it just like gradually evolved and I've been doing the calendars for some years. I, I stopped during COVID because like, it was really difficult with all the mail, uh, stuff. And I, like, I didn't like the mail anymore. So I've started again with the calendars last year. So it like goes up and down, but hopefully like more up eventually.

Jenn: I love that because I feel like sometimes adults are, um, hesitant to like maybe start a new hobby, like photography, like knitting, something that they've never done before. Um, it can feel like really intimidating to like start something new. And I just. I love that being able to start new things at any point in life. I recently knit my first dishcloth, so it was very exciting.

Elisa: No, but I that's like a very Icelandic thing as well. Like Icelanders are very open to trying new things and also like having new jobs, for example. So I've like started, I started working here as a, as a horseback riding guide and no one really like looked. thought like, Oh, that's really strange because you went to university and you worked like at a big media company in the Netherlands.

And now you're a horseback riding guide. Like no one in Iceland like that, but in the Netherlands it was a little bit more like that for some people, I think. And here as well, like I worked as a horseback riding guide, but I also help, uh, at a sheep farm during lambing season. , and I worked at a kindergarten the last, uh, two years or like, yeah, last year I quit, but the two years before that, and no one here in Iceland is like, oh, why are you doing that right now?

Like, they're all like, oh, yeah, you have a new job. Okay, nice. Yeah, you should try that. Yeah. Why wouldn't you try it? So, um, Everyone's much more open to trying new things and just starting new things. And I think that's like a really nice thing here in Iceland. Like, I really love that about the culture.

Jenn: hmm. Yeah.

Meggan: I would too. That's great. So, like anyone who has been to Iceland, obviously it's captivating. I think people have to experience it to truly understand how you can be so creative. So, become so engrossed with a country, and something you also like to do, even though you might have came to Iceland to slow down, you've picked up a lot of things. So, one of the other things you do there is, uh, to help people plan their trip. Plan their travel within Iceland. So whether it's first timers, return visitors, um, even Icelandic, folks themselves looking to explore their own country deeper. So how did that side business come to be for you? Hmm.

Elisa: quite, um, naturally, as in like, so many people that I knew in the Netherlands were like, Oh, you live in Iceland? Oh, do you know where to go if I stay for two days in this area? Or, so I was doing that for a very, very long time for free. People would send other people to me , to help them out.

Um, and I really love talking about Iceland. That's also why I love being a horseback riding guide. Like you're just talking to people about what they love about Iceland and which areas they really liked. So it just like happened pretty gradually that I was just helping people. And then after a while I was like, Hmm, maybe I should ask some money for this.

So, um, so now I have a digital guide.

Jenn: Yeah.

Elisa: can just buy the guide and like help themselves. But I, they can also, book a video call with me and then I can help them, uh, find the spots that are best for them, or maybe even like find some other spots that are not on the guide. Because like everyone has different interests, of course.

So maybe there are some people that love birdwatching and they want to see as many birds as they can, or, or they want to go horseback riding and want to try all the horse tours in the country. So it's um, Yeah, I really like finding the best spots for people and really giving them a good experience here in Iceland.

Jenn: Yes. I think it's so nice to have like personal recommendations from somebody who can like tailor it to your specific interests. I love that. We've said a couple of times, people who've been to Iceland know, but why do you think people fall so deeply in love with Iceland? Like, do you have, do you have a theory?

Yeah.

Elisa: I personally think because in Iceland, you're still like so close to nature. I mean, probably in Canada, you're also like closer to nature and in many parts than in the Netherlands, for example, like the Netherlands is so full of built everything. There's buildings everywhere. um, I think like being so close to nature and also like feeling this power that nature has.

And just knowing like, okay, there's a snowstorm today. I can't go outside. I can't do this , or it's sunny today. I have to like enjoy the sun and do this, uh, today. So I think like the being really close to nature in so many regards is like something that people really still like. And also just the peace and quietness.

So. At least that's what many people talk about when they talk about Iceland. Just there's a lot of nothing, but it's really beautiful nothingness. Yeah, so I think that's, that's the main thing there. You're still like so close to nature and you can really feel it.

Meggan: Yeah,

I couldn't agree more. We, our first visit, we drove around the country, of course, not seeing half the things, but we saw what we could in the 13 days that we were there. And there were some times we were completely by ourselves. And once you get out of sort of South Iceland and the golden circle, and you get out further into the country, we always joked how there were more sheep than people. And I couldn't have loved that more. Like, that's exactly it. And nature, It is that there's a powerful pull when you're out there. And it's something I've never experienced before and I can't wait to get back. So I, I completely agree with everything you said for sure.

Elisa: And I know so many people that like left the country and were crying in the plane. Like I've heard this, people told me this so often. And it happened to me as well. Like especially like. Now I can deal with it because I know I'm going to go back, but very often I was just Oh my god, I don't want to leave. I don't want to leave this place. So yeah, it to a lot of people. It's a, it's a virus.

Jenn: Yeah. I love that. And like, I'm, I'm a city person. I actually, I live in a, in a very small area, but I really enjoy going to cities and I loved visiting Reykjavik. It's such like a perfect balance for me. Of like, city and things to do, but also really lovely, the people are so nice, it's not like super, super crowded, like going to New York City or something like that, like it's, For me, it's like the perfect balance of city and like rural ness, I guess, so I think there's something for the city lovers if you're, Not into, um, being in the middle of nowhere where there's more sheep than people.

Elisa: Definitely.

Meggan: I dream of that. So if you don't mind telling us, what would you say are your Top two or three recommendations of things for people to either see or do in Iceland that might be lesser known, but still worth a visit. This might be to help me as well. I don't know, but I'm just asking.

Elisa: Yeah, so what I always tell people to do, because not many tourists do this, but there's so many swimming pools around Iceland, just local small swimming pools. And many people just go like to the Blue Lagoon, which is not possible now because it's closed, but like to the bigger spas. While the swimming pools, like all of my friends that I took to the swimming pools, they loved that the most, like all the excursions and stuff.

So, um, it's a local experience and it's just super fun to like be in these outdoor pools. Because they're all, you know, almost all of them are outside. So you get to like either enjoy the snow, uh. From by while sitting in a pool or you can get to enjoy the sunshine, , and be warm at the same time, which is not always the case here in Iceland.

So I personally like always tell people go to at least one public pool. Like, it's just super fun. I really like it. And then the other one is, um, The other thing that people don't expect, I think, is to have ice cream. Like, you need to eat ice cream in Iceland. Because, um, people also don't expect that they can eat ice cream year round, but I think, like, most of the, there's, like, ice cream shops here, Everywhere in Iceland, and they are open from 11 till 11 or something while all the other shops just close at eight or six, maybe even so having ice cream, also definitely like a to do.

And you can also have ice cream at the gas station, but just like ice cream. And whatever you do, just also get away from the south coast because so many people just stay at the south coast and, um, do the golden circle. Like, I personally really love the northeast, uh, or like the east or the north.

Both of those areas are like, I live in the north, so I think that's the most beautiful part, of course. But yeah, many people just like skip those parts because they think it's either like not accessible in the wintertime, for example, or it's boring because there's nothing to see there. , but it's just like not as well marketed as the Golden Circle.

So there's a lots and lots to see there.

Meggan: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. We actually went to a public pool, and don't ask me the town name, because we just pretended we knew the town names the whole time we were there to ourselves, but we didn't know how to say anything. But we would go to a public pool when we were there, and it was a really, really, we did the Blue Lagoon at the time as well when we first arrived, because we had time to kill, but as we did go around the country, we went to a public pool in the north, and it was, It was really fun and it was a really unique, um, I would say Icelandic experience for sure. And one of my favorite places that's actually in the east, we went to sort of, , a well known area for puffins and I'm obsessed with birds. So , I really enjoyed doing that as well. but yeah, I couldn't agree more. Like, Getting outside and experiencing the rest of the country is, is, is where it's at. In my opinion, I loved the golden circle and I loved Reykjavik and I loved South Iceland. We walked to the plane, we did the whole thing. But once we got past that, it was, uh, it just got even better.

Elisa: Yeah, exactly. I think like, You, you definitely like should do the golden circle on the south coast once like go there first and then like go and see the rest of the country. Don't make the mistake that you're like, Oh, I have see the golden circle last cause that's like the most beautiful part because it actually isn't like it's quite boring compared to the rest of the country, I think. Um, so yeah, if you do the whole ring road start with the golden circle and then do the like,

Meggan: That's what we did. Excellent. Awesome. Good advice.

Jenn: I love that. So we know that you love and live in Iceland, but is traveling in general something that you like to do or not so much?

Elisa: I mean, I used to travel a lot, but, um, since I've living in Iceland, like I mainly travel here or I travel back to the Netherlands to see my family. And then there's not much money left at the end of that. Um, so I haven't, like, traveled a lot outside of Iceland. Iceland or the Netherlands, um, the last few years, but before that I used to travel. Yeah, quite a bit. So I do like traveling.

Jenn: Any particular, uh, any particular favorite spots you've visited besides Iceland?

Elisa: I mean, I really loved traveling through the U S and Canada. So, um, that was definitely like, I, I studied in Michigan for a semester. , and then I traveled a lot through, the U S and Canada actually. but I've never been to like the. West coast of Canada. And I would really love to see that part as well, but yeah, I really, really love traveling through the U S and Canada.

Uh, but I haven't been there since I moved to Iceland. And, besides that, like, I also, really like, Rome and Italy. Um, so those are good places go. And when I was younger, I went to South America, which was beautiful as well. So I like a lot of places, but I personally like, I don't like like super humid, hot places. So Iceland is perfect for me in that regard. So I kind of found like the perfect

Meggan: It all makes sense.

Elisa: Yeah. So I found the perfect climate. So I don't really need to go anywhere else anymore.

Meggan: I think that's pretty amazing that when you can find the place you want to be and you don't even feel the need to necessarily go outside of that because you love it so much and you have all the things there. I think you're, you're, you're, you're winning at life, Elisa, for sure.

Elisa: I think that many people expect the climate in Iceland to be something that you want to like avoid actually, but I, for me, like the climate is like the best part of it all.

Like I live in the north of Iceland and we have a lot more sun than, um, than the south coast. For example, south coast has a lot of rain. We don't have much rain here. We do have a lot of snow at the moment, but, overall, like it's quite sunny here. So it's just, as long as it doesn't rain and it's like dry. like dry air, then I love it. So yeah, the climate is actually something that keeps me here.

Meggan: Excellent. And people wouldn't think that because they think Iceland, they think it's just going to be cold all the time. And you're, and you are right. When we were there in June, it rained a lot. Golden Circle down through South Iceland, it rained a lot. And as soon as we got out of there, we didn't really have much rain after that.

And honestly, Akureyri, we actually had some of the nicest weather that we had during our whole trip while we were there. So that makes a lot of sense. And there's a lot of sunshine up there too. Cool. I want to talk, before we let you go, about You know, you, you've made this big move in life and obviously being in the Schengen area, it's, it's a lot easier than it would be maybe for, for North Americans or, or whomever, but what advice would you give to someone who wants to make a change in their lives?

Like moving to a new city or a country in order to live a life that is more aligned with their goals or goals they might not even know they have yet, which sounds like you've, you've, those things might've changed for once you got there, but what What advice would you give to someone who's maybe pondering a change like that?

Elisa: I think like, if you really want to do it, you're gonna do it. So just don't think about it too much, maybe. Like, I didn't really think about it at all. Like, and also like the things that I'm doing here in Iceland, I never thought I would do any of the things that I'm doing here. So just look at the things that you like in this moment and do them. And then you will like, end up in a place that that you like, or you will end up with a job that you like because you're, you're like already doing something that you're enjoying. So yeah, I think like, it's like just don't overthink it too much like if you want to do it just try it like the worst thing that can happen is that you are going back home after some time i mean i never thought that i stay here for eight years. i could have just left again after three months but then i was like no i like this right now like for now this is perfect so let's stay yeah

Jenn: Yeah, yeah, and even if it was a three month experience and you decided to go back to the Netherlands, like, what an amazing three month experience that would have been as well. Like, people don't need to commit to living in a new country forever. You can

Elisa: i think that's what

Jenn: try it out.

Elisa: Yeah, I think that's what's stopping many people like they're just thinking like, Oh, if I choose to go to this country, I have to stay there forever. And like, when people ask me, like, do you want to stay in Iceland forever? I'm like, yeah, I think so. But I mean, I don't know what's going to happen in the future.

Maybe I want to go back to the Netherlands. So it's not that I'm thinking like, I'm, I have to stay here forever. Like, of course, like 50 years ago when people moved to another country, that's another story, nowadays, like, it's so easy to, um, to keep in contact with people and also just to change your ways.

Meggan: Yeah, well, you have 26 other countries to choose from, so anything could happen.

Elisa: Exactly, yeah. I can't imagine going to any of the other countries now, but you never know. Like, you never know.

Meggan: That's right.

Jenn: I love that. So, uh, tell us, well, we already know, but tell the listeners where they can find you on social media. What will lead them to your beautiful photography prints, your knitting patterns, and your services to help them plan the best Iceland trip possible.

Elisa: Well, on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, my name is Elisa in Iceland. Instagram has like, um, sp no, what are they called? Little dashes underneath. Elisa underscore,

Meggan: Underscores.

Elisa: underscore, yeah. underscore in underscore Iceland. Uh, but if you just search for Elisa in Iceland, you will find me somewhere.

Jenn: We will link all of that in the show notes as well so people can just go click on it and find you there. Thank you so much for joining us today. We always love chatting about Iceland. , any excuse to do that. So, so much. As for us the travel mug podcast you can find us on social media at travel mug podcast You can also find us on our website travel mug podcast.com Uh, you can support what we're doing here through buy me a coffee Or for free you can support us by leaving us a review on apple podcasts Or Spotify or also share the show with a travel loving pal, an Iceland loving pal. We're always looking for more of those. So thank you everyone. Bye.

Meggan: Bye.