Driving through a remote stretch of Iceland near the fascinating Seltun geothermal area outside Reykjavik, I was struck by how self-sufficient and strong you have to be to live in Iceland, especially in the long, cold winter months. This was a farm in the countryside, and the next-closest neighbor had to be at least 15 miles away.

I knew that Iceland was very unpopulated, with just over 300,000 people living in the whole country with one-third of them in Reykjavik. But I was still surprised by how few people we saw once we got outside Reykjavik. We would literally drive for hours without passing another car.

Iceland is an amazing country, and I was thrilled to be able to visit in winter when the moody clouds and fresh snow added drama and mystery to everything.