Northtrotter /nɔːθtrɒtə/
noun
a person who travels extensively through the north regions & beyond
wordplay on globetrotter
Hi! I’m Mel — the Northtrotter.
For the past eight years, I’ve been gallivanting across the globe, but my heart has always belonged to the north. These days, I spend most of my time exploring its remote corners, though I still wander off to faraway places now and then.
This is my personal travel blog – a space where I share the highs and lows of life on the road, tales from my adventures as an archaeologist, and guides to off-the-beaten-path destinations just waiting to be discovered. I’m so glad you’re here!
I was born in 1995 in a small town in East Jutland, Denmark, and spent many of my childhood summers travelling across Europe with my family – especially in England, where my mum is from. Those early trips sparked a deep curiosity in me. I remember reading geography books and counting countries before I even knew what a bucket list was.
In 2012, my dad and I embarked on a two-week journey through the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and Malaysia. That trip was a turning point for me. Experiencing such vastly different cultures opened my eyes and made me realize just how passionate I was about travel. I knew then that I wanted to take a gap year after high school to explore the world.
1995-2014: Childhood & teen travels
So, after graduating, I worked at a supermarket to save up, and in March 2015, at the age of 19, I set off on my very first solo adventure. I packed a tent, a sleeping bag, a few clothes, and a heart full of excitement into my backpack and journeyed through Northern Europe for two unforgettable months. I spent three weeks roaming the Faroe Islands and witnessed my first total solar eclipse. I battled snowstorms and saw the northern lights in Iceland. I got my first taste of the Arctic in Svalbard, hiked through the dramatic landscapes of the Lofoten Islands in Norway, stayed overnight at a Sami farm in Sweden, fell in love with the medieval town of Visby on Gotland and wrapped it all up with a few days in Helsinki – with a spontaneous day trip to Tallinn thrown in.
That journey changed everything. It was the first time I felt the true freedom of solo travel – and I was completely hooked.
That first journey left me craving more, so I decided to dedicate another year to working and travelling. I kicked things off a week exploring Poland and then a month-long adventure along Australia’s east coast. I explored the vibrant cities of Melbourne, Adelaide, Sydney, Canberra, and Brisbane; spotted wildlife on Phillip Island and Kangaroo Island; hiked scenic trails in the Blue Mountains; snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef at the Whitsunday Islands; and even attended a birthday bash for my (then-favourite) clothing brand, Black Milk, in Brisbane!
2015: Northern Europe, Poland and Australia
After returning to Denmark and working for a few more months with a few trips in between, I was ready for my longest journey yet: three and a half months through Asia. This trip was packed with incredible moments. I witnessed my second total solar eclipse in Indonesia, climbed Mount Kinabalu in Malaysian Borneo, fell in love with Taipei in Taiwan, and celebrated my 21st birthday surrounded by cherry blossoms in Tokyo with friends from back home. I ventured north to Hokkaido for a taste of the Japanese Arctic and explored much of mainland Japan as well. In South Korea, I hiked volcanoes on Jeju Island, soaked in the energy of Seoul, and even peered into North Korea from the DMZ. I wandered the bustling city-states of Hong Kong and Macau, then spent two unforgettable weeks roaming Mongolia’s vast deserts and majestic mountains.
The final stretch of the trip took me to Central Asia, where I joined a travel buddy for a month of adventure. We went on an epic roadtrip along Tajikistan’s Pamir Highway, made a spontaneous detour into a remote region of Afghanistan – an experience I’ll never forget, – and fell head over heels for the dramatic landscapes of Kyrgyzstan, with its towering peaks and glacial lakes.
Those two gap years were absolutely incredible, filled with life-enriching experiences that shaped who I am today. I loved every second of it and felt like I never wanted that lifestyle to end. But, as society constantly reminded me, it was time to go back to school. Time to get an education. Fortunately, I actually wanted that too – I just wasn’t quite ready to give up travelling completely.
Spring 2016: Journey through East and Central Asia
In August 2016, I moved to Copenhagen to begin studying my dream course, prehistoric archaeology. I lived and studied in the city for two years, and although I loved the courses and the friendships I formed, I was constantly dreaming of faraway places and planning my next adventure.
Despite studying full-time and juggling three part-time jobs, I never let that stop me from exploring the world. While based in Copenhagen, I embarked on numerous journeys: I visited the Faroe Islands five times; spent eighteen unforgettable days travelling through Iran; went on short trips to Romania, Albania, Norway, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Belarus, Germany, Wales, England, North Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia; roadtripped across the United States for two weeks, where I witnessed my third total solar eclipse; explored Toronto and Montréal during long stopovers; spent six days in Azerbaijan with a stopover in Moscow; joined a study trip to Greece; spent a month working and travelling in Peru; and made the most of my proximity to Sweden with several spontaneous weekend getaways.
2016-18: Life in Copenhagen and travels during my Copenhagen era
Because I wasn’t entirely fulfilled living a stationary life in the city, I decided to spend my fifth semester abroad. I chose Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, as my destination – and I absolutely loved it! On the very day I moved, I also went vegan, adding a personal challenge to the adventure, and I haven’t looked back since.
In Nuuk, I shared an apartment with four other exchange students, volunteered at the National Museum, joined the local climbing club, connected with the Bahá’í community, watched the northern lights more times than I can count, and explored every corner of the city and its surrounding wilderness. During the semester, I also spent two weeks travelling the west coast – first heading north to Ilulissat and its famous icefjord, and then travelling south to discover Norse ruins, climb rugged peaks, and hike to the edge of the ice cap. Life in Greenland was like a constant adventure, and leaving five months later was bittersweet.
2018-19: Life in Greenland
Still, life after Nuuk was far from dull. I spent the following semester writing my thesis while travelling through Iceland, Scotland, and Ukraine, eventually settling on the remote island of Nólsoy in the Faroe Islands for six peaceful weeks of focused writing. In the summer, I joined a five-week excavation of a Bronze Age midden in rural southern Siberia, before embarking on a whirlwind month-long journey through Southern Europe – visiting Italy, San Marino, France, Monaco, Spain, Spanish Morocco, Gibraltar, and Portugal.
For my seventh and final semester, I returned once again to Greenland, this time for an eleven-week internship in Tasiilaq on the east coast. It was an opportunity to explore a lesser-known region of the country, and – just as I had expected – I fell completely in love with it.
2019: Travels in Europe & Russia
I completed my bachelor’s degree in January 2020 and immediately moved to the Isle of Skye in Scotland. There, I spent two unforgettable months working as a waitress and bartender alongside my younger brother. On our days off, we explored the wild beauty of Skye, took trips to the nearby island of Raasay, and ventured out to the stunning Outer Hebrides.
That adventure in Scotland would be my last before COVID-19 brought global travel to a standstill. For four months, I stayed grounded in Denmark, but I made the most of it by rediscovering my home country through hikes, bike rides, and kayak trips.
By July 2020, as COVID cases declined across Europe, I cautiously resumed travelling, this time staying close to home. I embarked on a five-week journey through Germany, exploring northern cities and islands, attending the annual Stone Age gathering, and roadtripping through central and southern regions with detours into Austria and Switzerland. A month later, I returned to Germany to visit the remote island of Helgoland. Not long after, I spent a full month hiking and climbing mountains on Vágar in the Faroe Islands.
2020: Life on the Isle of Skye and Corona era travels
In November 2020, I moved once again – this time to the Danish island of Lolland, where I spent eight months working on archaeological excavations during the second COVID lockdown. Despite the restrictions, I thrived in my new rhythm: working 8-16 on weekdays, living with a warm local family and their three lovable dogs, and having weekends free to explore Lolland and the nearby islands – a region of Denmark I’d never been to before.
But eventually, the travel bug caught up with me. As Europe began reopening in the summer of 2021, I left my job to embark on a six-month journey through Europe and the Caucasus. I spent a few weeks camping and hiking in the Faroe Islands, witnessed a volcanic eruption in Iceland, attended the annual Stone Age gathering in northern Germany, went island hopping in Denmark, roadtripped through Austria and Liechtenstein with my family, backpacked through Georgia, and joined an archaeological project in Serbia.
I had originally planned to spend the final three months exploring more of Eastern Europe, but life had other plans. Another wave of COVID swept across Europe, and I unexpectedly got “stuck” in Berlin – where I had just begun a long-distance relationship with a dude I’d met in Georgia. So instead of ticking off new countries, I got to know Berlin really well and took time to travel around Germany. In November, I visited my best friend in Norway for two weeks, and in December, I flew to England to say a final goodbye to two beloved family members.
In January 2022, I returned to Lolland for another year of excavations and dog cuddles. This time, without lockdowns, I used my weekends and holidays to travel, visiting my partner, family, and friends whenever I could. I spent Easter in Belgium, hiked through Saxon Switzerland on a long weekend, returned to Serbia for another two weeks of archaeological prospections, and took two months off in the summer to travel through Germany, Central Europe, and the Faroe Islands, and work on an excavation in Slovakia. In the autumn, I went on a week-long roadtrip through Switzerland with my mum.
Life on Lolland was sweet and uncomplicated. It gave me valuable excavation experience, lifelong friendships, and a sense of home I’d only ever felt in my childhood village and in Nuuk. But eventually, it was time to move on and go back to university.
2020-22: Life on Lolland and travels during the Lolland era
In January 2023, I moved back to Scotland – this time to Aberdeen – to pursue a master’s degree in Archaeology of the North. It was an intense and rewarding year, balancing lectures, assignments, and my dissertation, but I still found time for the occasional escape. I explored the dramatic landscapes of Cairngorms National Park, wandered along the Aberdeenshire coast, visited the ancient sites of the Orkney Islands, and explored three islands in the Inner Hebrides.
My dissertation focused on abandoned settlements in the Faroe Islands, which gave me the perfect excuse to spend a month there collecting data – combining research with my deep love for the archipelago. I also squeezed in a quick trip to Bergen, Norway, to visit my best friend, and in the summer, I teamed up with another friend for a roadtrip through Banff and Jasper National Parks in Canada. After that, I headed north to Alaska to work on an excavation and explore some of the state’s majestic fjords. I also returned to Denmark a few times for visits home and to Lolland, and my family even came to see me in Scotland for a two-week holiday.
Then, on September 15th, my life changed forever. A little dog named Minnie was dropped off at my apartment after a long journey from Romania. It was love at first sight. Since then, Minnie has become my favourite travel – and life – companion. I love her to bits.
We travelled home for over a month around Christmas, thinking we’d stay in Scotland for a while afterwards. But life took an unexpected turn when I spontaneously applied for an excavation job in Denmark – and got it!
2023: Life in Aberdeen and travels during my Aberdeen era
In mid-February 2024, after wrapping up my studies in Aberdeen, Minnie and I returned to Denmark and settled in the town of Thisted, near the stunning Thy National Park in northwest Jutland. Over the next year, I worked on some incredible archaeological excavations – most notably at an old cemetery right in the heart of Thisted, where we uncovered hundreds of skeletons.
Weekends in Thisted were all about exploring the wild beauty of Thy National Park and the nearby islands. Being closer to home also meant more weekends spent with family, which I treasured deeply. My holidays were filled with adventures too: experiencing the incredible Eras Tour in Paris, exploring Gothenburg and a car-free island in Sweden, a family trip to Berlin and the Czech Republic, attending an archaeological conference in Italy, and a roadtrip from Denmark to Scotland and back for graduation with some exploring in the Netherlands along the way.
2024: Life in Thy and travels during my Thy era
I said goodbye to Thy at the end of February 2025 and set off on an incredible journey through Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. My plan was to then finally settle down, and I thought I was going to do that on the Danish island of Tunø. Moving to Tunø had been a dream I’d held since childhood, and when the chance to become the island’s new grocer came my way, I grabbed it and held tight. But life had other plans – a series of unexpected events forced me to quit before I even started, in order to preserve my sanity.
So now, I’m navigating the uncertainties of life, trying to figure out my next steps. Should I return to archaeology, follow my passion for the Faroe Islands and move there, or take a completely new path? For now, I’m enjoying the peace and quiet of a small countryside village in Sweden, and looking forward to a semester at a creative school in Denmark this autumn. Beyond that, the future is wide open. Like a young Taylor Swift once sang, “Oh, I’m just a girl, trying to find a place in this world”…
35 COMMENTS
Ihor
2 years agoHi Melissa! 🙂
I was looking for additional information about hiking around Nuuk and your website came up on the search engine. What a huge surprise it has been for me! You are the first female I have met (online/offline) that enjoys exploring the North. Nothing against warmer climates and places like Spain and Italy, but the Northern countries have something magical and mysterious about them. Something that not everybody are able to cherish and appreciate nowadays.
It is such a good feeling to know that somewhere in the world you have a soulmate that shares your passion 😉
Mel
2 years ago AUTHORHi Ihor! Haha that’s crazy that I’m the only north enthusiast woman you’ve met! There are a few of us out there, I swear 😀
Ihor
2 years agoWell, most of them must be from the Northern countries 🙂 And to tell you the truth, I had two female tour guides in the Faroe Islands. Both of them have traveled extensively, but none of them went up north to Greenland or Svalbard. Thus, in this regard you are quite unique 😉
Mel
2 years ago AUTHORYeah probably! I guess it’s quite rare to find people who are interested in the high North – that’s sad for them, though. They’re truly missing out!
Jo
2 years agoHi Mel, you were in Novi Becej couple years ago? Did you happen to know about the great Kika mammoth that was discovered a few years ago (maybe 10 years ago) close to Novi Becej in the town of Kikinda ? I’m not sure how many thousands of years the bone remains are thought to be in age (about 3,000 years ?) The bones were unearthed and are massive and were still together when they were found. https://www.kikinda-turizam.rs/2021/05/08/mamut-kika/ You sound like an INFJ personality type? This area in Vojvodina was the Pannonian sea at some stage. Have a great day! Jo.
Mel
2 years ago AUTHORHi Jo! I have heard of the mammoth and even visited the museum in Kikinda – I have a blog post about my visit as well! Vojvodina is a very interesting area and I hope to go back there someday!
Regarding my personality, I am far from an INFJ, haha! But to give you an idea, I’m an Aries in every single way. My personality is Aries, basically!
Meg
2 years agoHello, very much enjoyed reading your article. I am a student of anthropology myself and paired it with another bachelors in Scandinavian studies. Your life journey has been a great one and loved seeing the photos. Very curious on how you navigated living in so many countries, but assume student visas were a part of that.
Thank you for sharing. I hope you are/have enjoyed your studies in Scotland.
Mel
2 years ago AUTHORHi Meg!
Thank you, great to see someone here in a similar field 😀
I’ve been very lucky regarding student visas and have never needed one. I have both a Danish and British passport, so my studies in both Greenland and Scotland were very uncomplicated 🙂 plus there’s the added bonus of the Danish government paying me a student’s grant every month regardless of where I choose to study – our educational system is truly the best thing about Denmark! 😀
Meg
2 years agoWonderful! How blessed you are to be able to experience such wonderful places with no complications. Denmark sounds like a great place to be a citizen of.
Mel
2 years ago AUTHORIt is, I’m very thankful to be from Denmark and to have these opportunities 😀
Glenda Hills
3 years agoHello Melissa, I came across your blog as I was exploring information about the Faroe islands. My story isn’t quite as extensive as yours because I didn’t begin travelling until I turned 50 and realised that I just HAD to do and see the things that excite me. Let me work backwards: in 2018 my friend and I decided to celebrate our 70th birthdays by dogsledding for 3 days in Svalbard! On reflection THREE days was a tad excessive … 3 hours would have been more comfortable!!! Prior to this adventure I travelled to Norway and Iceland. I had been to these places (and Svalbard) previously in 2008. I simply had to photograph polar bears before I die to travelled to northern Alaska to do just that. The year before (2014) I simply had to photograph aurorae … again in northern Alaska. 2011 say me travelling to England, far n northern Scotland and the Outer Hebrides then Ireland. I hired a car and island-hopped wherever possible. In 2016 I drove completely around Australia, where I live, camping and staying in very basic accommodation. I have visited Vietnam but really only as a tourist. In 2001 I trekked in Nepal then flew to Japan to visit my daughter who was teaching English there for a year.
At the ripe old age of 74 I’m a travel junky and currently planning a 2023 journey to the Shetland Islands then Faroe Islands to photograph puffins.
I admire your zest for life and my only regret is; I should hav e started earlier … ohhh well, better late than never!!!
Enjoy your life.
Melissa Cherry Villumsen
3 years agoHi Glenda, thank you for your wonderful comment! I enjoyed reading your story, and I must say I admire your courage and sense of wanderlust! It’s great to hear that you discovered a love for travelling; after all, I believe it’s the best education a person can get – at any age. I hope all of your travel dreams will come true. Enjoy your trip to Scotland and the Faroes, two countries very close to my heart! xx
Abdul Aleem Siddiqui
3 years agoI’m 18 and this feels like a distant dream, I used to be interested in archeology but as an Indian, I don’t feel like I’d achieve much as it won’t give the relaxing vibes that Norway would give, did you find any Viking stuff over there? I like the relaxing life there, and I’m usually happy when alone, I like stuff to be peaceful so I dream of living there someday, Faroe Islands, I’m thinking of going to college there, I would love to explore more places in Europe. Reading your story gave me some nice chill vibes, keep blogging, I’ll definitely be reading everything. I love how you expressed yourself, the way you felt living at all these places. Thank you so much!
Melissa Cherry Villumsen
3 years agoHi Abdul! I’ve never excavated in Norway, but I’m sure it would be very cool. I live and work mostly in Denmark, and there it’s a fantastic job. I hope you won’t give up on your dream, because there’s always the opportunity to move to another country and work there!
Thank you so much for your kind words. I’m glad you’re enjoying my posts, and I’m so happy to know you’re coming along for the adventures! 😀
DC
4 years agoHi Melissa.
Love your sense of adventure and your general attitude to life. I came across your blog after searching google images for the Faroe Islands and saw your image (nice tattoo!). I’ve loved geography since I was a child (at school I would complete the jigsaw of a map of the world) so I share that love of places that you do, difference being is that while I dream it, you live it! Your attitude really is inspiring. You just get up and do it. I’ve a close friend Sofie in Denmark (Viby near Aarhus) so I will certainly be seeing your home place of Jutland. I’d known of the Faroes as a child but really became intrigued about the place after Sofie mentioned a friend of hers was going there. Your images look spectacular, and to keep going back there tells us how much you think of it.
The places you have been to are remarkable. They really are off the beaten track. The one that shocked me the most was eastern Greenland as I had no idea there was any kind of town/settlement there. I had assumed the population was concentrated on the west coast where there is more greenery. Thanks to google (again) I see as well as well as Tasiilaq there is Ittoqqortoormiit, a town of 345 people and described as “one of the most remote settlements on earth”. The Isle of Skye I haven’t been to, but this summer I will be flying over the west coast of Scotland with my brother in his microlight aircraft (we will be taking off from the north of Ireland where we are from). My sister is a huge Harry Potter fan (Im a grown ass man but I quite liked it too 😆 ) so I will be taking images of film locations such as the Glenfinnan viaduct and the small lake where Dumbledore was buried. The Scottish Highlands look spectacular in images so I cannot wait to see it up close. This is my very small step to emulating some of what you are doing. The excavation work you do sounds fascinating. Love the idea of seeing into the past.
All the best to you in your future adventures Melissa, i’ll be checking your blog to see what you are up to next!
Melissa Cherry Villumsen
4 years agoHi DC,
Thank you for your lovely comment – and I’m so sorry I’m replying so late. I’ve had my friend over and haven’t used my computer since the end of March 😛
I’m so happy that you discovered my blog, and to hear that you’re enjoying reading it!
I truly love the Faroe Islands so much, and I’m glad my passion comes through on the blog. Greenland too, and especially the east. I hope your dreams of visiting places like these become reality too someday!
Your trip to Scotland sounds absolutely amazing! If you have time, I truly recommend Skye and the neighbouring island of Raasay (my favourite!). I hope you have a wonderful trip!
Thanks again, and all the best to you too xx
theworldofezzy
5 years agoWow I just looked at your website and this part about you, who would have thought we had England in common too! you are an interesting being and thank you for inspiring us to travel with you even with the current situation in the world! Ps: I like your website design.
Melissa Cherry Villumsen
5 years agoThank you so much for your wonderful comment 😀 I’m so glad I’m able to inspire! And glad you like my design, it’s brand new!
Victoria
6 years agoOmg what a life you lead! Wow! So inspirational, it’s really made me want to travel more too.
Melissa Cherry
6 years agoThank you Victoria ❤ I hope you get to follow your dreams too!
Adri
7 years agoHei Melissa 🙂
I did checked your blog last summer and it was very helpful and inspiring for my trip to FO 🙂
I ended up spending a night in Kóltur after reading your blog post because I really wanted to do what you did and have a stopover in Stóra Dímun, as the possibility to stay there overnight, was not possible because the guesthouse was fully booked. Even the stopover was not allowed, I had a wonderful time campin in Kóltur and feeling the solitude of the island and the company of the sheeps.
Thanks for your great “work” about the FO, I am sure I will be coming back and exploring those places I did not manage last summer 😀
Keep making your dreams come true!
Adri
Melissa Cherry
7 years agoHi Adri, thank you for your lovely comment! 😀 I always love to hear from readers that I’ve inspired, it makes it so much more worth it to put time into writing the blog posts!
It’s great that you got to spend a night on Koltur, it’s such a beautiful and unique island and actually one of my favourites in the country (mainly because it’s so quiet and the shape is so unique haha).
I hope you do come back to the Faroe Islands and see everything you want to see! It’s a beautiful place and I’ve never actually heard of anyone who didn’t want to come back 😉
Thank you once again, and let me know if I can be of anymore help! 😀
xx Melissa
Rivka
8 years agoCan I just ask how a 21 year old can afford all of this travel? If you have any insight on how to travel without funds, or how to acquire funds to travel, that would be really helpful for your readers who are also young.
Melissa Cherry
8 years agoHi Rivka. I have considered writing a post about how to fund your travels, but the truth is that I’m just very lucky to be living in a country like Denmark, where university is free and you even get paid by the government to study. That means that I was able to work for a few years, while living at home with my parents, and save up to travel. I didn’t need to save up for anything else. My advice is to save as much as possible, quit buying clothes, shoes and other items that you don’t need, and maybe live at home if that’s an option 🙂
fromdreamtoplan
9 years agoHi Melissa! Happy to have found your blog! I love the layout, the style, the content….everything!! I’m a travel lover too so following you will definitely be interesting! Looking forward t reading your posts! Happy travels XX
http://www.fromdreamtoplan.net/
Melissa Cherry
9 years agoHi Lisa! Thank you so much for your lovely comment, I’m glad you like my blog 😀 I’ve checked yours out and I love it – you’ve just gained a new follower! Happy travels to you too! xx
Saul Tarasoff
9 years agoHi Melissa,
I just wanted to follow up regarding the giveaway opportunity and Blog2App program to see if you are interested. If you have any further questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Saul Tarasoff
GPSmyCity.com
Saul Tarasoff
9 years agoHi Melissa,
This is Saul at GPSmyCity, a publisher of travel apps on iTunes App Store and Google Play. We have reviewed your blog and are interested in working with you for mutual benefits. We are interested in (1) sponsoring a giveaway on your blog and (2) converting some of your blog posts into mobile apps so they can be sold on iTunes App Store and Google Play. If you wish to learn more about these opportunities, please reply to my email at your earliest convenience. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Saul Tarasoff
GPSmyCity.com