I've spent years writing about women traveling solo around the world, but I'd never taken a trip abroad on my own until this summer, when I spent five days in Iceland.
The country's incomparable landscapes and tourist attractions like the Blue Lagoon were certainly the main motivation for my visit, but I also chose Iceland for my first solo trip outside the US because of its reputation as the safest country in the world.
With that in mind, here were six surprising differences I noticed between Iceland and the US during my visit.