Insurance in Iceland

Years ago, an underwriter said to me, "You and Shirley would get along. You love food, travel, and are both outgoing. You just remind me of each other." And he would try to get us together, but never got to it before he moved to California. Over time, Shirley and I ran into each other at industry events and she was kind enough to invite me to a brunch at her home with a bunch of industry folks. Since then, we have shared our passion for food, drink, and all things cultural as shown by our photo below at a Russian cabaret in Brooklyn where we drank vodka, watched acrobatics, and listened to pop song covers:

A few months ago, Shirley said to me, "You want to go to Iceland?" And tonight, we leave with 9 others (mostly insurance women) for a Northern Lights adventure! Here's a photo of Shirley's thoughtful gift bag she put together while coordinating carrier / industry swag:

The snacks, hand warmers, vest, and gloves will come in handy! Many go during the summer when the weather is nicer, the Ring Road is open, and you can do lots of hiking. 

Not us. January is the peak season for the Northern Lights which we've been tracking here: http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/

So in between passing my board interview and closing of my apartment and while squatting at my parents', I leave for Iceland. So many details and logistics have been in my head for these past few months and during my transient life status, but I'm very psyched for this long anticipated trip. 

After schlepping my luggage on the Metro North, working most of the day, schlepping to physical therapy, I managed to catch the E train to the AirTrain to JFK for our overnight 6 hour flight. All the while sweating in my ski jacket in NYC and in 62° weather. I met the other folks at a restaurant near our gate and Shirley was kind enough to bring our favorite Kimbap as a dinner snack - I paired it with a Bloody Mary.

Here's a preboarding photo with 2 ladies who photobombed us, but blended in!

See you in the morning in Iceland!