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A Sweater, A Regret, and An Unexpected Reunion

From Iceland With Love: The Sweater That Came Full Circle

It’s funny how life sometimes presents you with the exact thing you didn’t even know you wanted—only for you to second-guess yourself and let it slip away. That’s precisely what happened to me with a puffin sweater in Iceland. Let me tell you the story of how a handknitted sweater became the centerpiece of a serendipitous moment that still surprises me.

Published by

Celia Robbins·1/27/2025

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Pirate Tips

A Sweater, A Regret, and An Unexpected Reunion

From Iceland With Love: The Sweater That Came Full Circle

Published by

Celia Robbins·1/27/2025

In 2021, my husband and I traveled to Iceland, and one of the highlights of our trip was visiting the breathtaking waterfall, Seljalandsfoss. After taking in the beauty of the falls, we found a cozy little shop nearby.

That’s where I saw the sweater.

It was beautifully knitted, featuring cute little puffins that immediately captured my heart. I found myself standing there for what felt like an eternity, running my fingers over the soft wool, imagining how perfect it would feel to wear back home. But it felt like an indulgence I didn’t need. Despite how much I wanted to make it mine, I talked myself out of it, convincing myself it was a splurge I could do without. Instead, I walked away with a pair of puffin socks—nice, but nowhere near as unforgettable.

Fast forward to the following year, when I returned to Iceland with my daughter. This time, we did a puffin tour on the Westman Islands, which was just as magical and adorable as I’d hoped. Afterward, we made our way to Seljalandsfoss, and I couldn’t wait to visit the shop again and finally buy that sweater. But, sadly, when we arrived, the shop was closed. My heart sank. I couldn’t even see if the sweater was still there, or if it was being sold at all. That’s when I knew—I had missed my chance.

That little regret lingered with me, but I didn’t think much more about it until one day when my daughter asked, “Do you have any regrets, Mom?” And while I knew she was asking a deep, philosophical question, my mind immediately jumped to that puffin sweater. I shared my small regret on X (formerly Twitter), posting a photo of the sweater with the caption, “It’s been 3 years since I saw it in a shop there, and I still regret not buying it.”

I thought it would be a small post that maybe a few people would like or comment on. But then something incredible happened.

A stranger named Dave, who was scrolling through his feed while in Amsterdam, saw my tweet and recognized the sweater. It turned out that he had bought the exact same one at the same exact shop for his wife two years before during a work trip to Iceland, but she had never worn it. He offered to send it to me if I covered the shipping. At first, I thought it might be a joke, but Dave reassured me, saying, "I would never joke about a puffin sweater."

And just like that, my small regret was on its way to being resolved.

Ten days later, the sweater arrived at my doorstep in Berlin. My new friend Dave even covered the shipping costs. I couldn’t believe it. It really was the exact same sweater I had fallen in love with. It still had the tags on it—proudly displaying the name of the small shop by Seljalandsfoss. I put it on and was thrilled to discover it fit me perfectly.

Months later, the puffin sweater of my dreams now hangs in my closet. Every time I open the door and see it, my heart leaps a little, and I still find myself thinking, “Did that really happen? Is this mine?”

This whole experience has helped me learn to be more willing to say "yes." Say yes to the trip you’ve been planning forever. Say yes to the unexpected item you find while traveling. Sometimes, the universe offers us small but meaningful opportunities when we least expect them. And in this case, even though I didn’t say 'yes' at first, the story still came full circle in a way I never could have imagined.

One of the most surprising things about the conversation on X regarding the sweater was how many people shared their own regrets about not buying something while traveling. A commenter shared how they regretted passing on a stunning mask in Venice, while another shared the "solemn promise" they made to always buy items they fall in love with while traveling, after missing out on a shawl they still wish they'd purchased. I was blown away by how many others could relate to that same feeling of “I should’ve bought it.” It was a moment of connection with so many people who had, in one way or another, faced the same small heartbreak of a missed opportunity.

So here’s my advice: if you’re on vacation and you see something that speaks to your heart—whether it’s a puffin sweater or a shawl—give yourself permission to say yes. Buy the item. Don’t let those small regrets linger. No more puffin sweater regrets!

I’ve learned that life has a way of surprising us, often through the small regrets and missed chances we think we’ll never get back. And in the end, sometimes those very moments come back around in unexpected, beautiful ways as life works its magic.

What feels like a missed opportunity is just the universe nudging us toward something else—a different kind of joy, a fresh memory, a new way to experience the world. My puffin sweater story came full circle, but it wasn’t about “getting the thing” anymore. It was about understanding that life has its own rhythm, and if we’re open to it, we’ll end up exactly where we’re meant to be.

Perhaps your puffin sweater is still out there, waiting for you. Or maybe, like me, you’ll find something else that turns out to be even more meaningful than you ever expected. And when it happens, you’ll know—it was worth the wait.