Thank you for reading Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine in 2019

It is that time again when we look back on the year that is about to end and think about what is in store next year. When I think about 2019, my main feeling is gratitude. I have been incredibly fortunate in my life, both professionally and privately. It may sound corny but there it is.

To my 75 thousand readers in 2019, I say thank you

My main feeling of gratitude is to the tens of thousands of people that used Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine in 2019. I am just so thankful that people take the time to read the content I produce. All in all, just over 75 thousand people from 178 countries read the magazine in 2019. I am so grateful for each and every reader. In 2019 I published 38 articles and added more content, especially about planning your trip to Iceland, dressing properly for Iceland, learning key Icelandic phrases, saving money when traveling in Iceland and staying safe.

Like so many others I grappled with the environmental consequences of traveling so I wrote about how you can make your tour to Iceland carbon neutral. It was very gratifying to get a mention as one of Iceland’s best travel blogs from Expertido.

I hope this is creating value for my readers

Often I get the then nagging feeling that I am not doing enough, both in terms of publishing more content or doing a better job with the articles I publish. But then I remind myself that I am not working on the magazine full time. I am very busy with my main job which is working at the leading fintech company Meniga. It is just a fantastic company, our products are revolutionizing digital banking and personal financial management. That work takes the first place, no question. I just hope that my magazine still creates value for people planning to travel to Iceland. Even if it is just a side project by somebody who feels perpetually guilty he is not doing enough. That is true for my main job at Meniga and the Stuck in Iceland travel magazine. Perhaps something to work on in 2020!

All the wonderful travel in Iceland in 2019

2019 was blessed with many new experiences in my wonderful home country of Iceland.

• Seeing the incredible Hveradalir in Kerlingarfjöll with my great friend Martin Schulz
• Hiked the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon and visited the incredible rock formations at Hljóðaklettar and took in the beauty of Ásbyrgi
• Going to Landmannalaugar and Hekla volcano with Moonwalker, the uber-guide Bessi Jónsson and Camy the coolest dog in Iceland. It was the super-jeep tour to rule them all
• Snorkeling in the lovely Silfra fissure at Thingvellir – my daughter did it a lot better than I did of course
• Hiking in the epic Fimmvörðuháls (Five-Cairns) trail with my daughter. Again the offspring outdid me

Let’s travel in Iceland in 2020!

There are plans for one big hiking trip in summer 2020. And I am dreaming about a big road trip in the north of Iceland. I have at least two incredible concerts to go to in 2020. One is with my incredibly talented wife, Hallveig Rúnarsdóttir. She will be performing Mozart with the Icelandic  Symphony Orchestra in May. The other is a concert with one of my favorite bands, the Icelandic rock band Ham. That is happening in January. I am still on a high since I attended a recent concert by the Viking metal band Skálmöld. They are going on a hiatus after ten years of rocking out hard. I also went to a lot of concerts here in Reykjavik, one of the best things about living here is the sheer variety of music events that is on offer. The 2019 Music Awards reflected the vibrancy of the Icelandic music scene. My wife was, quite deservingly, chosen as the best classical Icelandic singer.

Thank you for contributing to Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine in 2019

The best thing about running the Stuck in Iceland travel magazine is the incredible people you meet. For the past seven years since the magazine was founded, I have been consistently blown away by the willingness of people to share their experiences or their expertise when it comes to traveling in Iceland. Thanks to all of my contributors and interviewees. These fantastic people are what makes the magazine what it is.

Thank you for using the discount promo codes for top-rated tours!

And talking about delivering value to my readers. In June 2019  I started offering discount promo codes for top-prated Iceland tours. The reception has been just mind-blowing. I think about more than one thousand people have saved tens of thousands of Dollars on high-quality tours here in Iceland. Many thanks to the tour providers for making this available to my readers and of course, many thanks to everybody who supported the magazine by using the discount promo codes. I hope your trip to Iceland was fantastic.

The most read content in 2019 on Stuck in Iceland Travel Magazine

1. Discount promo codes for top-rated Iceland tours – everybody wanted to save a little bit of money on great tours. And they sure did in 2019!
2. The hidden beauty of Gljúfrabúi – this gem of a waterfall continues to fascinate people
3. Hiking to the top of Iceland. I did go up to Mt. Hvannadalshnjúkur. Honestly. And people seem to like to read about it.
4. Mt. Esja is one of the best hiking options near Reykjavik. I love it and so do my readers
5. Head Into the Glacier – this incredible human-made ice tunnel continues to fascinate. It does not harm that we have a discount promo code for it.
6. The northwest of Iceland is often overlooked by travelers. This article helps you discover that wonderful area.
7. A beautiful hot spring on the Snæfellsnes peninsula beckons
8. The story of Agnes Magnúsdóttir continues to fascinate people from around the world.
9. The whale watching, puffin watching and other cruises with the top-rated tour company Elding are just so great. They are one of our partners for discount promo codes
10. The dark side of Thingvellir takes the tenth place in this list of most popular content on Stuck in Iceland Magazine in 2019. I win no prizes from the nationalist-populist party Miðflokkurinn for this article. It reveals the horror show that Thingvellir became after the glory days of the middle ages were over. Sorry, Miðflokkurinn but you guys are idiots so I just don’t care.

Dear reader. I hope you have had a wonderful 2019. I hope you will have a fantastic 2020!

Thank you.

Jón