I took a 1-day trip from New York to Iceland just to watch lava erupt from a volcano. Here's what it was like and why it should be on everyone's bucket list.

I have a lot of unique interests, from hunting truffles to exploring abandoned castles, but witnessing natural spectacles, like tornadoes, tops the list.

So when I heard about a new eruption at Iceland's Fagradalsfjall volcano, where I could watch lava shoot into the air from a visible (yet safe) distance, I had to see it in person.

I previously booked a trip to see Fagradalsfjall in 2021, when it last erupted and became the first active volcano in the Reykjanes UNESCO Global Geopark in over 800 years. The activity petered out until this August, when Fagradalsfjall erupted once again. Only this time, people could see inside the bubbling crater from a nearby hill.

Because my trip revolved around nature, I couldn't exactly plan it far in advance. I had to act fast. After all, a volcanic eruption can last anywhere from several hours to several years.

Just eight days after the eruption made the news, I, a self-proclaimed lava hunter, was on a hill in Iceland watching new earth form. And I did it all — flying from New York to Reykjavík and back — in less than 35 hours.

Here's what the bucket-list experience was like.

In terms of travel time, it's much easier to get to Iceland from the East Coast or the Midwest.

I happen to be based in the New York area, so I departed on an 8:35 p.m. Icelandair flight out of John F. Kennedy International Airport. The flight time was just under six hours.

I landed in Reykjavík the following day at 6:15 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, which is four hours ahead of the Eastern Standard Time I came from.

I changed into my hiking gear in the airport bathroom, and by 8 a.m., I was hiking to the volcano.

I hired a guide, Joe, from Hidden Iceland, a travel company that offers private volcano excursions. He'd be accompanying me to Fagradalsfjall.

Though travelers can certainly complete the trek on their own, I decided to get a private guide to make sure I felt safe along the way.

He walked ahead of me to test for loose rocks and checked gas levels as we approached the site. Plus, he monitored the weather before my arrival to make sure we were catching Fagradalsfjall at the most optimal time.

Having an expert with me made the trip more enjoyable. I was running on zero sleep, and thanks to Joe, I could focus on the lava instead of the logistics.

Even if I didn't get to see lava pouring out of a crater, I still would've found the hike along the volcano's ridges to be incredible.

On a clear day, you can see the coastline, mountains, lava fields, and valleys of cooled black volcanic rock all from one vantage point. Of course, knowing there was bright-red lava at the end of the hike made it even more appealing.

That being said, we weren't walking on your average groomed trail. A lot of the path crossed through small to medium-sized boulders, so I was constantly trying not to slip or roll my ankles.

We ascended about 1,300 feet, with the bulk of the climb happening in the first few minutes. The hike, which was approximately 10 miles, took us six hours to complete.

Honestly, the pictures from my trip don't do the experience justice. You have to witness it first-hand because the sensory input is novel.

As I walked closer to the eruption site, smells of sulfur wafted past me and built my anticipation. The smell really hammered in how this event is purely natural.

I was able to stand on the crater's edge, so close to fresh lava, to take the ancient volcanic landscape in. I was captivated.

Lastly, the sounds were unlike anything I've ever heard. There was crackling, whooshing, and bubbling as the lava shot into the sky and splattered onto the cooled rock.

Pieces of the crater also broke off and tumbled into the lava, causing splashing noises to fill the air.

It was complete sensory overload in the best way possible.

Volcanoes are scattered across the globe, from Hawaii to Greece to Japan. Even though you can even hike many of them, the majority are dormant.

When they're active, they can be hard to see without binoculars and are sometimes only accessible to scientists or drones.

Fagradalsfjall is one of the few volcanoes where you can take a selfie with spewing magma in the background. But because the hike to get to it is so difficult, I wasn't surprised the eruption site wasn't overcrowded.

If you can handle the trek (or are willing to tour by helicopter), I suggest visiting. It's cool knowing that you're one of few people in the world who will ever get to see an eruption with their own eyes.

Iceland is home to numerous natural wonders — including Strokkur Geyser, Blue Lagoon, Gullfoss Waterfall, and the Fagradalsfjall volcano.

Many are less than an hour drive away from the international airport, so it's possible to see multiple in a single day. I managed to fit several of the sites into my jam-packed itinerary.

On the day I saw the volcano, I was in the car headed to my hotel, the 101 Hotel, in Reykjavík by 2 p.m. I spent the night before flying back to New York the next day.

Since I had a full day before my departure, I squeezed in a trip to the Sky Lagoon, a thermal spa, on my way to the airport.

My flight took off around 5 p.m., and after a whirlwind day in Iceland, I was back in the US by 7 p.m.

The intense itinerary left me exhausted, but it was entirely worth it.

In less than 24 hours, I physically challenged my body, laid eyes on a natural wonder, and even found time to make it to the spa.

If you want to do the same, keep an eye on Iceland's volcanic activity and be ready to book that flight.