Day 3: Making Plans

A few times throughout our trip we would frequent the tourists' office to plan a rough itinerary for the next couple of days. Wynene suggested riding Icelandic horses one day and I was totally game; that Monday we scheduled a ride for the following morning with the girls in the tourists' office. Although we vacationed during Iceland's off season, there was still much to do and we were eager to escape the city for a couple of days to explore the country. We considered the various tours that were offered but I was reluctant because of the expense. 

Wynene thought we should rent a car and try to navigate these tours ourselves. This idea immediately filled me with apprehension; I was dead set against it from the start. My heart sank as we discussed with the girls the cost of renting a car for a few days and the feasibility of negotiating the country alone. Wynene understood that I was not hip to the idea and that we had to discuss it in detail before making a decision there. With that, we stepped out of the office and bent our steps in the vague direction of the fashion exhibition we'd read about. 

Walking along the duck and swan-filled pond and across busy overpasses, we talked. "We're two American women alone in a foreign country without working cell phones," I said. "We don't know the terrain and it's been snowing every day since we got here." But Wynene was cool and confident about the prospect. She didn't doubt that we could do this by ourselves. I was anxious, my head filling with images of our car getting stuck in the snow or scenes of us creeping along some empty road in the dark, our car suddenly slipping on ice and us having an accident. 

"I get more worried about getting a ticket parking in the city than of us having trouble driving in the country," she continued. I was still very worried but thought about it more because she was very enthusiastic about the idea. To be honest, I was filled with dread but was trying very hard to warm up to the idea at this point."Well, we'd have to bring water," I said slowly, thinking. "Of course. And we can bring blankets and extra clothes, just in case," she agreed. "Okay," I said reluctantly. "I guess we can try it."

By this time we'd reached a college, and unsure where to go, stepped into the first building to escape the cold and inquire about the fashion weekend exhibit. After a few quizzical looks from students and slightly confusing directions, we finally found it. A neon pink cylinder stood among various buildings of the school and in it was a rotating exhibit, featuring pieces from some fashion students.