Iceland is a country that has long been on my bucket, a place that I’ve seen thousands of images of but needed to witness with my own eyes. After day 1 all my expectations were met. After a full 10 days I knew life wouldn’t be the same again.

Being exposed to such vast, rugged beauty moves you in a way that is hard to describe in words or image. Standing under the Northern Lights as they dance across the sky, absorbing the fresh spray beneath a towering waterfall with no one else in sight, or simply walking along a black sand beach as the ocean roars and crashes to the earth; being out in nature uplifts the soul and puts things into perspective. Iceland solidified my love, and appreciation for creation and reminded me of what matters most in this life. Being here during the Paris terrorist attacks was definitely bittersweet, I began to miss home and my loved ones, a chilling reminder of the world we live in.

As the trip continued I was exposed to so much diversity, new and old land masses, complex intricacies and infinite amounts of textures. Earth always finds a way and we too can learn from it. We are united in our suffering but set apart by how we cope. After this experience, I can’t look at life the same way again. Life’s too short. Our modern society has complicated the way we live and for a few brief moments Iceland took me back to a simpler time, as though I was looking at the world through the eyes of a child again. There’s still beauty on this earth, still hope in this ageing world. Here’s some of what I saw and experienced in this phenomenal land.

More info: williampatino.com

Icelandic window views

Dance of the Universe

Bring me to life

I am/Infinity

Sea of stars

Unity

Refuse to sink

Presence of the Almighty

Golden fields

Reflective moments

Games

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