Chasing the Northern Lights: Driving Iceland’s Ring Road (with Gísli the Outlaw)

 by Laima Vince

Having reached an age where I am no longer needed by anyone, I am free to take to the open road.  I am a driver with grit, and that means I’m not a timid driver, but not a recklessly fearless one either. I drive an ancient Toyota stick shift on gravel back roads, and I can cruise through New York City without breaking a sweat. All this, I felt, prepared me to drive Iceland’s 828-mile (1,332 km) two-lane Ring Road solo, encircling the island in seven days. What I was not prepared for was the stunning beauty of the land I would witness and how deeply Iceland would sear into my...