The Iceland Diaries #1 – Spring Is A Lie

Foreigners often delight in expressing their confusion over the Icelandic holiday known as “the first day of summer”, and not without reason. April in Iceland is barely spring-like, let alone summer-like, and our “summers” should only count as such on the technicality that Iceland is a country on the northern hemisphere of a planet that experiences summer.

And yet every spring, we cross our fingers, ignore even recent history, and pin our hopes on the completely unrealistic expectation that somehow this time, things will be different. But enough about the elections.

Spring in Iceland, much like summer, is a lie. How can it be otherwise, when temperatures breaching the double-digits is cause for a special news report? Sure, we’re already at the time of the Midnight Sun, but that’s a little difficult to enjoy when you’re dressed for what any reasonable person would conclude is decidedly un-summer-y weather.

We need to stop kidding ourselves and accept that there are two seasons in Iceland: winter and winter lite. Trust me, I’ve taken almost 17 laps around the sun on this island. We’ll all be much happier once we make our peace with our seasonal binary.