A week ago we were helping Henna pack up her apartment in St. Paul. Now I’m at the IKEA in Reykjavik waiting on Corey and Henna to pick up a few more things.

For the record this is our second trip to IKEA. That plus our visit to Costco stresses the inevitable dissonance of helping your daughter enroll in an international university. For me it is the familiar that feels the most estranged.

There are moments in-between the packing and the unpacking where we are floored by the sheer beauty that is Iceland. There is the pleasant walking trail along the harbor where each night I venture out to around midnight. That is when the sky enters “nautical night” which marks a time just dark enough that it is possible (but not likely) to glimpse the Northern Lights. The lights here so far have eluded me but the view still amazes.

We also spent a day hiking in the Reykjadalur Valley. It was nice not to plan, run an errand or pack. Instead the three of us took a walk along a boiling river then enjoyed pizza at the local brewpub. It was the highlight of my summer. It was worth all the trips ever taken to IKEA.