Welcome to Unlocking Kiki!
I am Kaelene, Kiki to my friends, and the voice behind Unlocking Kiki.
Ten years ago I followed my heart and moved from my small hometown in Oregon to Reykjavik, Iceland and haven’t stopped exploring the gorgeous country since. I spent my early years in Iceland dragging my Viking out for as many adventures as possible, discovering every new waterfall and hiking trail I could. Wanting to keep my friends and family back home updated I started Unlocking Kiki to document my experience living in Iceland and the adventures I had along the way.
I quickly found a passion for sharing these adventures with others and aimed to make my blog a resource to help others plan their own Iceland adventure. I was a very active blogger for several years filling this site with hundreds of posts, from Iceland guides to daily stories as I navigated life as an expat. I loved coming to this space to write about my life in Iceland. My world took another turn though when we welcomed our son, and all that time for hiking to waterfalls and blogging went into chasing our busy little Viking.
Fast forward to today, and these days Iceland adventures look a little different with two little ones joining the fun, but family travel is just as wonderful, although the hikes take much longer!
While I am no longer blogging as I used to a few years ago I wanted to keep this blog live to continue to be a resource for others heading to Iceland. Unfortunately, I let my hosting renewal pass (I blame mom brain) and lost all the content I had spent years creating. After throwing myself a little pity party (for the past year, it was a lot of content!) I decided I wanted to make get this information back up, even if only one person finds it useful that is enough for me.
So while Unlocking Kiki may not look like the blog it once was, I have spent countless hours pulling together my Iceland posts to get back on here. Over time you may find more of my expat life and Iceland stories trickle back so stay tuned for that.
About The Blog
Unlocking Kiki is dedicated to sharing unique sights, experiences, and insider tips to Iceland from the perspective of a foreigner living in Iceland. Whether soaking in one of Iceland’s many natural hot springs, hiking in the highlands, or strolling the streets of Reykjavik, I strive to provide readers with a fun and unique perspective on this beautiful country I call home.
I hope you can come to Unlocking Kiki for a dose of Iceland wanderlust and as a helpful resource in your Iceland trip planning. Exploring Iceland will be a forever passion for me, I now have my Icelandic citizenship so they can never get rid of me!
Why Iceland?
Iceland, totally random right?? Well you know its the usual story, girl goes to Australia, girl meets boy in Australia, boy happens to be Icelandic, the girl looks on the map to figure out where in the hell Iceland is, fast forward three years girl officially moves to Iceland to be with the boy. Whew, that sums up our love story and why I am in Iceland in one run-on sentence!
Get To Know Me
I have a passion for travel and never turn down a glass of wine. I love exploring places off the beaten path and will hike anywhere to see beautiful waterfalls. I want to live life to the fullest and never look back with regret. Follow along to find out what happens next.
I love connecting with my readers!
Send me an email and follow me on Instagram!
If you are looking for more of a planned Iceland itinerary I would love to work with you. Whatever kind of Iceland trip you are after I want to help you make it happen. Reach out to unlockingkiki@gmail.com and let’s start planning the most epic Iceland adventure.
Sjáumst and bless bless!
