I traveled to Iceland with my soccer team after my junior year of college. We had the opportunity to play against three local teams, watch an Iceland Women's Premier League Game (HK/Vikingur vs. Breidablik) and explore the country's capital. This was a different traveling experience, as our group was ~30 individuals but this was the perfect country for such a trip. The city was easy to navigate and safe. English is taught as a second language, so there wasn't trouble communicating with locals. There was no need to handle Icelandic currency, Króna, because the country is a cashless society. The rough conversion estimate we used was $1 ~ 100 Króna, but this is subject to change.

I recommend visiting Iceland if you enjoy the outdoors or are looking for a less "touristy" destination. The city of Reykjavik is small and can be walked in one day, but it is full of colorful buildings, a pier, markets, cute cafes/bars (Kex Hostel) and the famous Hallgrímskirkja Church.

I spent a lot of my free time in the city's cafes, playing cards or board games. Iceland introduced me to oat milk and my life has been forever changed. There are a ton of coffee shops and I made it my mission to try as many as possible (see below for the extensive list).

Iceland imports a lot of food (remember, it's an island) which causes the food at restaurants to be pricey. As a college student with no job, I was able to save some cash by eating at cafes, smoothie/sandwich shops (my favorite was Lemon) and a local bakery called Brauð & Co. Our team's favorite dining option was the homemade crepes at Eldur og ís. This was one of the few food options that was open late, so we went there often. Another late-night dining option is Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, which translates to "the best hotdog stand in Europe." Quite a few celebrities have ordered from this stand, including John Green (author of The Fault in Our Stars), Kim Kardashian and Charlie Sheen. This is the only hotdog stand I've ever ate at so it definitely wins Best in Europe.

One of the main attractions in Reykjavik is Mount Esja. This volcanic mountain range has many great hiking trails, with the highest peak at almost 3,000 feet. The melting glaciers form fresh-water streams that run down the mountains and are safe for drinking.

There are many opportunities to explore around the city. Our team took the Golden Circle Tour, which included Thingevillir National Park, Stokkur Geysir and Gullfoss waterfalls. This was the shortest tour, but there are other tour options that include additional sites. Tours can make for a long day on the bus, but the views were worth it and you get to see a lot of the country.

Our team also took a tour of Raufarhólshellir, the widest & largest lava tunnels in Iceland. They are located about 30 minutes outside of the city. If it works out, I recommend checking it out.

Other activities are whale watching, horse-back riding, a puffin-tour or visiting the Blue Lagoon. Some will say this is a tourist trap, but I'd disagree. The lagoon is one of National Geographic's 25 Wonder's of the World. It is about an hour outside of the city, but there are buses that take you right to the resort (located quite literally in the middle of nowhere).

• You do have to make reservations and purchase tickets in advance. I recommend going as early as possible or later at night, because it can get quite crowded during the day.

• When you check in, you are given a wristband. This acts as your "credit card" while you're in the lagoon. With your ticket, you also get one complementary drink from the In-Water Bar and one complementary mud mask from the Mask Bar. You can purchase additional items using your wristband.

• Once you are checked-in, there are changing rooms, showers (required before entering) and lockers for storage. If you want to take photos, you can bring your camera or phone out to the lagoon and place back in your locker once you've taken photos.

• If possible, avoid getting your hair wet! The lagoon is extremely high in silica, which destroyed my hair. The spa does suggest using their leave-in conditioner but it did little to help my hair. It took almost a month for my hair to return to normal.

• Because the lagoon is a geothermal pool, it smells like sulfur (or eggs). Despite the weird smell, it is completely safe.

A week was the perfect length for Reykjavik and there was plenty of time to explore the countryside. If given the opportunity, I would definitely go back to Iceland!