A Small Fire in My Bathroom in Iceland & Other Laughable Moments

Those times when you rock back and say “It’s a European Thing” make travel all the better because those embarrassing moments also become laughable.  I look forward to those unexpected moments just as much as the scenic landscapes and connecting with the cultures and landscapes because humor brings an experience that only you will have. Here are the three times Icelandic people shook their heads at me…

1. Can I Get A Queen Bed, Please?

One look at my bed at the Hotel Natura and I could already tell I would wake up in the crack. It was two twin beds pushed together, which didn’t seem like the Queen bed I was expecting. The staff switched me to that Queen bed.. And to my surprise.. was the exact same layout! And the light bulb goes on.. this is in fact a Queen bed in European standards.

2. Make up woes solved. Light, Please?

 And speaking of light bulbs going on, mine weren’t. I was flipping the light switches in my room with no luck. I decided that since Iceland is so conscious of the earth the lights aren’t activated until night falls. Then night fell and I was back to my room. Still no light. Too tired to care, I washed by face and brushed my teeth under the light of my phone. Up before sunrise I applied mascara under the same light. After a few stops during the day, I noticed that mascara was running wild under my eyes. And my tights were put on backwards. Did I have lipstick on my teeth too and blush on my chin? That night I called the front desk to let them know my light bulbs are certainly burned out. Cleary, only the ones in my head. There is a master switch that once turned on allows you to turn on the light… even in the daytime.

3. My Hair is as Flat as the Kansas City Plains.

I thought Icelanders just knew how to party when fog started to smoke in spirals in front of my bathroom mirror. Then the smell of burned plastic and that’s when I realized the source of the problem. Plug in 120 Volt curlers into a European outlet and it’s a smoke show. Converter or not…. But it was still worth the party.