S02 E15: Iceland’s Icy Wonders: Crazy Snowstorms to the Magical Aurora dance, with Smrutha

In today's podcast episode, we have an exciting guest, Ms. Smrutha Santhosh, who takes us on a whirlwind vacation adventure she had with her husband and son in Iceland. This family loves taking Christmas trips, but this one was special as they were chasing the Northern Lights for the first time. Their journey, however, got off to a rocky start—literally. They lost a bag in transit, and driving on icy roads soon became a test of nerves. One night, a snowstorm led to a major mishap when their car landed in a giant ice ditch, leaving them stranded in the freezing cold for over 2-3 hours, waiting for help. A true misadventure! But instead of letting it ruin the trip, they quickly devised a Plan B. They joined a tour group to explore the beautiful icy landscape of Iceland. From soaking in the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon during fresh snowfall to marveling at glaciers, frozen waterfalls, giant geysers, and mega craters, they embraced Iceland’s “Land of Fire and Ice” experience. And of course, the ultimate highlight was witnessing the breathtaking aurora borealis dance across the sky for the very first time. Despite the setbacks, this trip turned out to be one for the books. It reminded them that vacations are all about making memories, spending quality time with loved ones, and embracing the unexpected. My guest’s lively storytelling made this conversation a joy to listen to. Tune in to hear the full story! ------------------------------------------- Follow Smrutha Srinivas on ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Wow Vastra Instragram page⁠ | ⁠Wow Vastra website⁠ ------------------------------------------- To support our team and donate generously, please click ⁠⁠SUPPORT ⁠⁠. Like our work? Follow, Like & Subscribe to our podcast from wherever you are listening in. We would also love to hear from you, so do write to us at: Email: ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠@misadventuresofasneaker⁠⁠Blog: ⁠misadventuresofasneaker.substack.com⁠ --------------------------------------------  (00:00:00) Trailer (00:02:07) About the guest & the episode (00:04:55) Guest Introduction – Smrutha (00:12:52) Earlier travel stories (00:21:42) Background journey (00:25:46) Iceland and the planning behind it (00:29:40) Touchdown to the icy Iceland - Reykjavik (00:32:36) Drive & experiencing the Blue Lagoon (00:40:35) Quaint B&B in Selfoss (00:44:39) Accident in Selfoss (01:01:00) Recovery and devising a plan-B (01:03:00) Frozen Seljalandsfoss waterfall (01:11:33) Black Sand beach, Reynisfjara  (01:15:50) Massive Geyser or Geysir (01:19:00) Golden Circle tour - Gulfoss waterfalls, Thingvellir National Park (01:22:48) Northern Lights experience (01:26:29) Shopping in Iceland (01:32:00) Icelandic Christmas Celebrations (01:34:00) Food in Iceland (01:36:52) Souvenirs (01:37:53) A special happy vacation (01:44:41) Toodles Smrutha