The normality of lives - a wannabe-philosophical writeup after two weeks of Iceland

Hey, it‘s me again. Maybe some of you remember [my post from a few months ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/solotravel/s/PL2e6M92ne). So I indeed went to Iceland for two weeks. Alone. And as expected, the experience was a double-edged sword. I wrote a few pseudo-philosophical lines about my feelings during and after the trip… Centuries ago, humans on average didn‘t get as old. Dying around the age of 30 wasn‘t out of the ordinary. Yet some of them achieved great feats and went down in history. I wonder, if they actually perceived their life as shorter. Or maybe it felt just like ours. Since for them, it was their normal. I am around that age now. Back then, the end might have been close. What have I achieved? Nothing. Nothing of significance. At least I feel that way. Maybe it‘s my mental health forcing dark thoughts upon me, as usual. But I can‘t get rid of this feeling, that I wasted so much time. And now I‘m running out. Traveling to Iceland was at least a tiny step on my journey to achieve anything, even though so far this „anything“ might be merely the attempt to catch up with life. Just as with my Interrail trip last year, traveling solo wasn‘t some cathartic experience that changed my whole identity or whatever. Sometimes I enjoyed the freedom to do what I want whenever I want. Sometimes it was heartbreaking to see others experience everything together with their partner or friends. Sometimes I forced myself to talk to people because I wanted a bit of social contact, although more often than not I lacked either the energy or confidence to approach anyone. There‘s one realisation that stuck in my mind while traveling. For me, the way I live at home is „the“ way of living. It‘s my normal. While living in Iceland with its rough weather or nightless summers feels extraordinary. Yet for the people living there, it‘s their normal. And many people elsewhere have their own normals. I find that somehow fascinating. Iceland has a lot of beautiful nature wherever you go. It is hard to pick any highlights. But my favourite moment was something else. After I left the totally overpriced but still kinda fascinating Sky Lagoon and was walking to a bus stop a bit further away, I passed through a neighbourhood. In one of the houses, there was a little girl with blond hair, waving her hands from a window on the upper floor. I kept on walking but waved back. She noticed and waved even more, so I waved back again. She looked like it made her super happy. For a moment, that made me happy too. I‘m aware I have a privileged life compared to many other people on earth. But my inner demons are there nonetheless. Going to Iceland was another part of the battle against them. Maybe one day, that short moment of happiness will become my new normal. P.S. Do the cat-tour in Reykjavik. It‘s a bit cringe, but funny and interesting at the same time. --- **Post Details:** - **Subreddit:** r/solotravel - **Author:** u/L0Lifant - **Score:** 15 upvotes - **Upvote Ratio:** 70.0% - **Comments:** 15 - **Posted:** 6/29/2025 - **URL:** https://reddit.com/r/solotravel/comments/1lnexf2/the_normality_of_lives_a_wannabephilosophical/