My name is Renault Kangoo

My name is Kangoo, Renault Kangoo with a license to drive.

Today, I will to tell you about two people, Boy and Girl, that I’ve met and the journey we took on together. Honestly, it was probably the best journey I’ve ever had and maybe ever will.

But first things first, I should properly introduce myself. I am Kangoo, a camper made by Renault and my owners are Rent.is. They rent me out from time to time for a reasonable price (if you take into account how amazing I am, but I will talk about that later).  That’s how I met Boy and Girl since they were clever enough not just to rent any car but they rented me.

Boy and Girl came to Iceland on their first trip together and they were planning on driving in Route 1 so they could see as much of Iceland as possible in just one week.  There were pretty old-school about it and they had decided to use a map to guide them wherever they wanted to go. Girl was mostly in charge of the map, while Boy did the driving. I must admit that it was love at first sight and in all honesty, I think they felt the same way about me.

Our first moments together were, obviously, a little delicate so to say. They had to keep me save and in return I would do the same for them.  In the beginning they didn’t see it that way and they thought they were in charge. They learned their lesson soon enough. You must know that in Iceland streetlights are not very common. On their first day Boy and Girl got lost and when they wanted to take a turn, my back wheels skipped of the road…. I learned that these two are a great team and don’t panic easily (or at least not Boy) and they learned how warm-hearted and kind the people of Iceland were. They had just eaten in a local hotel and were only a few hundred meters away, so they decided to walk back and ask for help. Even the chef of the hotel jumped into the camper van and soon I was back with my 4 wheels where I below, safely on the road. Boy and Girl came to realise that we were all in this together and that for the coming week I would be as much part of the journey as they were.

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From that moment on we really became a team. They decided where we should go and I took them there safely. In return they showed me the most wonderful places and I got to meet a lot of my brothers and sisters on the road. Some people underestimate my powers but not these two. They encouraged me to search for my limits and they tested me to go beyond them each time. In the beginning it was by testing if I could handle driving in outrageous weather conditions and later it was by testing my capability too handle difficult road, such as route 862. This route goes through the Jökulsárlón National Park and there we witnessed untouched nature as for as our eyes could reach. It was amazing for a Kangoo like me to be able to see something so extraordinary. I have Boy and Girl to thank for that, because they always believed I could handle those bumpy road and they handled me with care.

Unfortunately I didn’t get to participate in all their activities. Indeed it would be rather difficult for me, since I’m still a camper van, to go with them when they went whale watching in Húsavik or when they went on a boot tour on the Jökulsárlón Lake to watch the iceberg. Sometimes they just stopped and took pictures of us all together with a breath taking view in the back, sometimes they just took pictures of me that they could show of to their friend when they got back and on other occasions they went hiking. I can only imagine the beauty they must have witnessed up there. But they enlightened me every time they came back since Girl really likes to talk. They told me all about the hikes they did, after they had parked me on the side of the road overlooking the most spectacular horizons.

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Iceland is well known for encouraging tourists to come over and camp, and therefore there is no lack of beautiful places to park your car over night. When we where at Skógafoss they parked me just at the foot of a hill and when we woke up the first thing we saw was the waterfall. Other times, we just went to some small towns where we could just enjoy some peace and quiet. At least, if Girl doesn’t want to go out for a late night drive. I must admit, she had a very good reason.

We had just parked in Selfoss and Girl realized all of a sudden that it was the first clear sky they had since they arrived. Apparently, on their first night in Iceland they had gone on a tour to look to the Aurora Borealis but they couldn’t see since there were too many clouds that night. Girl knew that this could probably be their one lucky chance to see this miracle of nature for themselves. So she got back into the car and started driving without really informing Boy what she was really up to. He was already in his boxers ready to go to sleep actually but when Girl drove out of the city and into the dark, Boy could do nothing else but admit that Girl had done the right thing. That night we stood there, I don’t remember for how long, looking at the Northern Lights. Just like my relationship with Boy and Girl it started gently and with some hesitation, only to end up with great passion and without ever wanting to let go.

But just like the Northern Lights, everything must come to end. After 7 days in which we shared love and laughter, the moment had come for us to say our goodbyes. I will admit that it was hard on all of us, me included, but we found comfort in the memories that we had created together and that we will share for a lifetime.

  

  

Thanks for reading my story. Now that you got to know me, I can’t wait to get to know you as well.

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P.S. Boy and Girl also would like to say something: “Hey whomever is reading this. Our actual names are Jeremy and Laura. We come from Belgium and have had the best trip we could ever have dreamt of in Iceland. The people are wonderful, the nature is breath taking and don’t even get us started about the food. All of these things made our trip to Iceland great, but what made our trip unforgettable was the fact that we did it all by ourselves. We went camping, which is something that I, Laura, was not very enthusiastic about in the beginning. I like comfort and privacy, when taking a shower for example. But afterwards, I realize this is probably the only real way to discover Iceland. I had everything planned and mapped out for our trip, but Iceland has shown us that not everything can be planned. Has Kangoo told you about that time we got lost and met a kind young couple, living peacefully in their farm, showing us the way or when we took off in the middle of the night looking for the Northern Lights? All of these things would have never happened to us if we didn’t go camping. The freedom you experience when driving Kangoo wherever you want to go next was exactly what we needed at that time. You know how life goes; you work hard and sometimes forget what really matters in life such as adventure and each other. Well, it’s safe to say that we found that in Iceland. Don’t hesitate to go to Iceland and if you do, please go with Kangoo. He’s really nice; I give you my word on that. You can try to map out your trip, but don’t forget to let Iceland lead the way. Be amazed by the nature you will have the pleasure to discover and let the people who live here show you their way of living. We will never forget our time here and we wish we could go back already. There is a lot of world out there to discover, but it would definitely be your loss if Iceland wasn’t number 1 on your list. Enjoy!”

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Happy Camping!  #CamperStories