I called my mom last week to tell her I'm going to Iceland for a few days. She seems happy ਀攀渀漀甀最栀 琀栀愀琀 䤀✀洀 琀愀欀椀渀最 愀 氀椀琀琀氀攀 瘀愀挀愀琀椀漀渀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 椀猀 挀漀渀琀椀渀甀愀氀氀礀 瀀甀稀稀氀攀搀 漀瘀攀爀 洀礀 搀攀猀琀椀渀愀琀椀漀渀猀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 挀栀椀氀氀礀  seasons in which I travel. Last year it was Northern Scotland, then Denmark, and neither in the ਀猀甀洀洀攀爀琀椀洀攀⸀ 䜀漀椀渀最 漀瘀攀爀猀攀愀猀 椀渀 猀甀洀洀攀爀 椀猀 愀 最爀攀愀琀 眀愀礀 琀漀 爀甀渀 椀渀琀漀 氀漀琀猀 漀昀 䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀渀猀 猀琀漀洀瀀椀渀最  around the world, bitching that no one speaks English and how much the food sucks. Most traveling ਀䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀渀猀 愀爀攀 攀愀猀礀 琀漀 猀瀀漀琀⸀ 吀栀攀礀✀爀攀 琀栀攀 氀漀甀搀 猀挀栀氀攀瀀猀 椀渀 戀爀椀最栀琀 渀攀眀 眀栀椀琀攀 猀渀攀愀欀攀爀猀 愀渀搀 愀 琀ⴀ猀栀椀爀琀 琀栀愀琀 攀椀琀栀攀爀 tells you where they're from, or where they were yesterday. Really clever shirts, like the one with ਀刀伀䴀䔀 愀挀爀漀猀猀 琀栀攀 挀栀攀猀琀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀 戀椀最 瀀愀猀琀愀 猀琀愀椀渀 愀椀爀戀爀甀猀栀攀搀 漀瘀攀爀 椀琀⸀㰀⼀倀㸀 

God bless America

਀吀甀爀渀猀 漀甀琀 琀栀攀爀攀✀猀 琀眀漀 瀀氀愀挀攀猀 昀漀爀 䤀渀琀攀爀渀攀琀 愀挀挀攀猀猀 椀渀 刀攀礀欀樀愀瘀椀欀ⴀⴀ琀栀攀 戀甀猀 station, and the Top Shop Cafe. It is much too trendy and hair-gelled਀                     椀渀 栀攀爀攀 猀漀 䤀 栀漀瀀攀 琀漀 琀礀瀀攀 昀愀猀琀 愀渀搀 洀漀瘀攀 愀氀漀渀最 琀漀 琀栀攀 䴀☀䴀 戀漀漀欀猀琀漀爀攀 for some coffee-slurping with the grubby bunch.

I guess I could tell you about my all-day excursion to the uninhabited਀                     ⠀愀渀搀 甀渀椀渀栀愀戀椀琀愀戀氀攀⤀ 爀攀最椀漀渀 漀昀 䤀挀攀氀愀渀搀Ⰰ 戀甀琀 礀漀甀 挀愀渀 瀀椀挀欀 甀瀀 愀渀礀 最漀漀搀 guide book for that stuff. Everyday life around here is much more਀                     椀渀琀攀爀攀猀琀椀渀最⸀ 䰀椀欀攀 䄀洀攀爀椀挀愀Ⰰ 琀栀攀礀✀瘀攀 最漀琀 戀甀洀猀 ⠀䤀✀瘀攀 猀攀攀渀 琀栀攀 猀愀洀攀 琀眀漀 guys about four times. They seem okay.) They've also got really਀                     漀戀渀漀砀椀漀甀猀 洀漀爀渀椀渀最 搀樀猀⸀ 䤀 搀漀渀✀琀 甀渀搀攀爀猀琀愀渀搀 愀 眀漀爀搀 漀昀 眀栀愀琀 琀栀攀礀✀爀攀 saying, but it sounds pretty stupid, even in Icelandic. Otherwise, life਀                     栀攀爀攀 猀攀攀洀猀 瀀爀攀琀琀礀 最漀漀搀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀 ਀                    㰀倀㸀 吀愀欀攀 猀眀椀洀洀椀渀最Ⰰ 昀漀爀 攀砀愀洀瀀氀攀⸀ 匀眀椀洀洀椀渀最 椀猀 愀 渀愀琀椀漀渀愀氀 瀀愀猀琀琀椀洀攀Ⰰ institution, and requirement for graduation from secondary school.਀                     吀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 瀀甀戀氀椀挀 瀀漀漀氀猀 椀渀 渀攀愀爀氀礀 攀瘀攀爀礀 渀攀椀最栀戀漀爀栀漀漀搀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 䤀 愀椀渀✀琀 talking about some raggedy-ass YMCA setup. Geothermally-heated਀                     眀愀琀攀爀 椀猀 椀渀 愀戀甀渀搀愀渀挀攀 栀攀爀攀ⴀⴀ椀琀✀猀 栀漀眀 琀栀攀礀 最攀渀攀爀愀琀攀 愀氀氀 漀昀 琀栀攀椀爀 electricity. (Fossil fuels are only used to run vehicles.) Icelanders are਀                     眀愀礀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀攀椀爀 眀愀琀攀爀Ⰰ 愀渀搀 愀昀琀攀爀 漀渀攀 漀昀 琀栀攀 洀漀猀琀 爀攀氀愀砀椀渀最 攀瘀攀渀椀渀最猀 漀昀 my life, I am too.

The ritual at these places is probably harrowing to most of our਀                     瀀甀爀椀琀愀渀椀挀愀氀 愀渀琀椀ⴀ渀愀欀攀搀 愀琀琀椀琀甀搀攀猀⸀ 䄀琀 琀栀攀 搀漀漀爀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 爀攀洀漀瘀攀 礀漀甀爀 猀栀漀攀猀 and place them in a plastic bag. Go to the locker room, where you਀                     最攀琀 渀愀欀攀搀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀渀 挀愀爀爀礀 礀漀甀爀 琀漀眀攀氀 愀渀搀 猀眀椀洀猀甀椀琀 琀漀 琀栀攀 猀栀漀眀攀爀⸀ 吀栀攀 attendant makes sure that you've got soap and shampoo, and that਀                     礀漀甀 甀猀攀 椀琀⸀ 䘀漀爀 琀栀攀 挀漀洀瀀氀攀琀攀 搀椀爀琀眀愀搀 洀漀爀漀渀Ⰰ 礀漀甀 眀椀氀氀 昀椀渀搀 愀 氀愀爀最攀 diagram of the human body with the head, armpits, privates, and feet਀                     栀椀最栀氀椀最栀琀攀搀 椀渀 爀攀搀⸀ 夀漀甀 愀爀攀 爀攀焀甀攀猀琀攀搀 琀漀 瀀愀礀 猀瀀攀挀椀愀氀 愀琀琀攀渀琀椀漀渀 琀漀 these parts in Icelandic, English, and German.

I guess they assume these areas get extra-cruddy across all cultures.

Rinse, repeat, suit up, and you're ready to hit the water--and what਀                     搀椀瘀椀渀攀 眀愀琀攀爀 椀琀 椀猀⸀ 伀渀挀攀 䤀 樀甀洀瀀攀搀 椀渀琀漀 琀栀椀猀 瀀漀漀氀Ⰰ 䤀 最愀瘀攀 甀瀀 愀氀氀 栀漀瀀攀 漀昀 getting a good workout. It's like a bathtub, but clean without that਀                     最漀搀愀眀昀甀氀 挀栀氀漀爀椀渀攀 猀洀攀氀氀⸀ 嘀漀氀挀愀渀椀挀愀氀氀礀ⴀ栀攀愀琀攀搀 眀愀琀攀爀 椀猀 欀椀渀搀 漀昀 戀攀礀漀渀搀 description. It just feels nice. You feel clean. It doesn't burn your਀                     攀礀攀猀⸀ 䤀 猀眀愀洀 愀爀漀甀渀搀 氀椀欀攀 愀 欀椀搀 昀漀爀 愀渀 栀漀甀爀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀 ਀                    㰀倀㸀 吀栀攀爀攀✀猀 洀漀爀攀Ⰰ 琀栀漀甀最栀⸀ 䄀昀琀攀爀 琀栀攀 ∀眀漀爀欀漀甀琀∀Ⰰ 䤀 琀栀攀渀 栀攀愀搀攀搀 漀甀琀猀椀搀攀 昀漀爀 愀 soak in the hot pots (hot tubs to you and me). 105 degrees of਀                     戀甀戀戀氀椀渀最Ⰰ 眀栀椀爀氀椀渀最 樀攀琀ⴀ瀀漀眀攀爀攀搀 爀攀氀椀攀昀⸀ 䌀漀渀猀椀搀攀爀椀渀最 琀栀愀琀 琀栀攀 愀椀爀 temperature is about 50 degrees, it's perfect. If others are in there,਀                     琀栀攀礀 最攀渀攀爀愀氀氀礀 氀攀愀瘀攀 礀漀甀 愀氀漀渀攀Ⰰ 漀爀 爀攀愀搀 琀栀攀椀爀 戀漀漀欀猀⸀ 䴀攀渀 搀漀渀✀琀 栀椀琀 漀渀 women. Women don't flip their hair around or check their nails. They਀                     猀漀愀欀⸀ 吀栀愀琀✀猀 椀琀⸀ 䄀愀栀⸀ 㰀⼀倀㸀

And with that lovely thought, I'm off to bed. 'Night