Settling down in Norway among the mountains - with Kelly Roeleveld

Time to say hello to Kelly Roeleveld, a really inspiring woman from The Netherlands who after years of traveling found her call among the mountains in Norway.

Hi Kelly, could you tell me a little about yourself, and how you ended up in Norway?

Hi! I grew up in the Netherlands and for as long as I can remember I wanted to move to a different country. I remember sitting in school as a teenager, looking out of the window dreaming of far-away lands. A place where I could live a more adventurous lifestyle preferably close to the mountains. The countries I wanted to live have changed over the years from New Zealand to Austria to Canada but I could never make up my mind. In 2022 me and my dog Odi went on a van roadtrip to Norway and I instantly knew this was home. November 2023 is when we left everything behind us for a new life in Norway. Still feels so surreal!

Kelly is wearing Amelia hiking pants in black size 40, tall length.

What’s the biggest difference between the Netherlands and Norway in terms of outdoor life? 

Norway is wild! It feels like the whole country just breaths outdoor life. Mountains, fjords, wide open landscape... In the Netherlands nature is very scarce in my opinion. I love that in Norway I can go for hour long hikes and not see another person, house or road. Oh and the Netherlands is very flat haha. I need the mountains.

What is it that makes you enjoy nature so much? 

Lots of different things actually. It makes me feel good. Everytime I go out in nature I come back even happier than before. Whether it's a small walk in the woods or a long hike in the mountains. Nature makes everything better and sometimes has the power to put things into perspective for me. I love to swim in the fresh water, stand barefoot in the dirt, eat the wild fruits... nature is just the best!

Who is Odi and what he means to you?

Odi is my best friend. He's a stray dog from Portugal and I adopted him in 2021. In his first few weeks with me it was a lot of adjusting for both of us. I had to teach him the ways of his new life like that it's not okay to jump on the table to steal someone's food, he once almost stole someone's sandwich! While out on a walk he decided to walk over to some people having a picnic and join them. I could grab him before he could get to the food and thankfully the people were very charmed by him and didn't mind. He's lucky he looks so cute! Also he was used to a big town I think because he was anxious of the woods and farm animals but not of cars, loud noises etc. I taught him that nature is great and he now loves it all! We really bonded in those first few weeks. Ever since then he has been my adventure buddy and we do almost everything together. Where I go, he goes. 

If you could name 3 things you and Odi like to do together the most, which would they be?

Hiking, sup-boarding and a new favorite: cross-country skiing. We used to go sup boarding a lot before we moved here. Odi loves to sit and look at other people/dogs while I paddle us around the lake. It definitely will challenge your balance with a dog on the board haha. We recently started with cross-country skiing. It was a new activity for me so I made sure I had the hang of it before I brought Odi along. He's such a clever dog and he had the hang of it really quickly as well. He knows it's not just a "stop and sniff everywhere" kind of walk but that we are in action mode. 

What are your top 5 spots in Norway? 

Well I haven't been exploring much since I've only been here 3 months but from previous travels I'd say Lofoten, Rondane national park and Aurland. Very excited to explore more places this year!  

If you had the chance to go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I'm pretty happy where I am in Norway at the moment. I used to always want to travel but since living here I haven't felt the need which is a really good feeling. A few countries on the list that I'd hope to see one day though are Greenland, New Zealand and northern Sweden. The reasons are all the same: the incredible nature.

 What do you think about your Amelia pants?

They are very versatile.The kind of pants you wear all day: hiking, grocery shopping, to work and I also wear them with cross-country skiing. They are so comfy and can take on anything!

Kelly is wearing Amelia hiking pants in black size 40, tall length.

Thank you so much Kelly for sharing your story with us! Don't forget to have a look at her inspiring feed on Instagram, and if you want to read more stories about cool women finding happiness in new countries, we recommend this one.