This was a memorable trip, for many reasons. Here are three big ones.

1. Iceland, obviously.

And then London and Amsterdam. I'll share those photos in another post.

2. Celebrating five years with this guy.

So much has changed (for the better) during that time, and we celebrated five years of ups and downs that led to growth, as individuals and as partners.

3. We were overseas during this historical election.

The unthinkable happened and we woke up shocked. As did the people we encountered overseas. Part of me felt guilty for not being in America. Part of me was selfishly relieved to be so far away. But overall it did help us gain a more worldly perspective of things. I often think small, living in my little Kansas City bubble. Perhaps expanding my thoughts to America as a whole but seldom reaching beyond that. Our election affects other countries, too. More than I ever considered.

Apart from that dark cloud, our trip was fantastic.

Rather than bore you with all the details, I'll simply share some photos (that's all you really care about, right?) but there is one thing I'd like to share.

Global warming is terrifying.

We saw the effects of global warming in Iceland. Our guide showed us the measurements they take of the melting. It's pretty unreal. And it's happening really fast. What used to melt in 40 years is melting in one. What happens when the icecaps melt completely?

What makes this reality sting worse is that Donald Trump has said global warming is "a Chinese hoax" and appointed Myron Ebell, a well-known and controversial climate denier, to head his EPA transition team. He plans to remove the business regulations that aim to help protect our environment; regulations that, IMO, already weren't enough.

Note: This isn't meant to be a political post. This isn't me standing on a Democratic soapbox. In fact, the EPA administrators under Republicans Nixon, Reagan and H.W. Bush said this in a statement against Trump's plans when they endorsed Hillary Clinton during her campaign:

“Donald Trump has shown a profound ignorance of science and of the public health issues embodied in our environmental laws. He hasn’t a clue about Republicans’ historic contributions to science-driven environmental policy.”

This isn't just an issue liberals care about. This is a human issue both parties care about. If you care about our environment and our future ... if you don't think global warming is "silly," as Trump's advisor has said, please consider donating to the Natural Resources Defense Council or Greenpeace.

The beauty was laced with fear. The views in Iceland took our breath away. They restored our souls and made us feel renewed. And yet, the truth we witnessed also made us feel very afraid for our future.

Alright. Now you know why Iceland is terrifying. Here's the part where you see some of its beauty.