- [Narrator] This is "Relocated"
where we tour the living situations
of people who choose to live off the beaten path.
- My name is Isley Reust, or you can pronounce Isley.
I live in a small fishing village in the Westfjords
of Iceland called Isafjordur.
Isafjordur is one of the most remote places
in Iceland here in the Westfjords.
And there's a population of about 2,500.
And here I work as a photographer.
I relocated to Iceland in the year 2018 about.
I always knew that I was going to move to Iceland
ever since I was a little kid.
Flying back and forth from Germany to the States.
We'd fly over Iceland and Greenland.
And I just remember being so fascinated
and intrigued with the landscape and how beautiful it was.
I thought to myself, "One day I'm going to move here."
Prior to living in Iceland,
I was living in Los Angeles for a few years.
And there I was working in the TV and film industry.
I got to a point that I wasn't very fulfilled
in my career and very happy in Los Angeles.
And I dropped everything and left.
Something unique about my living arrangement is
that I live in a fjord that was cut out by a glacier.
And we have these giant mountains that surround us.
It's quite beautiful to wake up to in the morning.
So I live in a one bedroom flat, and I'm alone there.
For me the least glamorous side of my living arrangement
I think is my kitchen because I like to cook.
And my kitchen is really small
and I really don't have much space
and the countertop is so low.
And so I'm always like very hunched over
and it always hurts my back to cook.
And it just isn't fun for me,
but even having a kitchen
that's not so exciting is not really a downfall
when you have so much beautiful-ness around you.
We are very isolated.
So it's not a place for everybody.
For example, in the winter time, the roads can be closed
for days when there's a big storm.
Shipments can be late.
It just depends.
I think something else that's very unique is
that it's very safe here, and I don't lock my doors.
I don't even lock my car door.
I don't need to lock my house door.
And I don't feel in any danger whatsoever.
Yeah, I think the only danger
here in Westfjords is maybe avalanches or rock slides.
And I think something else that's very unique
that you don't find in a lot of places is
that everyone here is always willing to help you.
And it's very hard to find that I think in other places.
My daily routine is never the same.
It's always completely different.
I go out and do my photo shoots
or if I have some people to guide around
and go out and do that.
The trip are for, you know, nature enthusiasts,
photography enthusiasts, hiking enthusiasts.
Sometimes you can find me on a ship or a boat
going through the Arctic Ocean or to certain fjords.
Or I could be flying on an airplane.
It's really a new adventure every day.
Living here is not so expensive
when it comes to certain things
but there are other aspects that are expensive.
So for instance, I live on the edge of town
and my rent doesn't cost so much as
if I were to live downtown or six hours away in Reykjavik.
So I spend a lot of money mostly on food or fuel for my car,
or if I want to buy something
I have to have it shipped or imported.
So there are like high costs with that.
So I can't just get anything that I want right away.
And so that can be expensive in a way.
I think one of the revelations
that I've had since living here is
that I don't think I can ever go back
to living in a major big city
because I enjoy my silence and I enjoy the nature
and not so many people around me
and people consuming and consuming.
To be more mindful of my spending, more mindful of my waste,
that is a revelation that I've had.
And just being more considerate of the environment.
What can I do to minimize my footprints here on the earth?
The only I think downside for me is that my family's
in Germany and then my other family's in the U.S.
So it's kind of hard to see them, you know,
when I want to see them.
It's really hard to say how long I plan on staying
in this living arrangement
because I would like to have my own cabin.
Right now, I'm renting.
And I also can see myself married
and I'd least like one kid.
One piece of advice that I would give
to someone who is looking to move somewhere remote
or try something new is just be passionate
and excited about what you want to do.
Make sure that it's something that you really love
and just go for it.
I hope you enjoyed the tour
and a little rundown of my life here in Isafjordur.
Make sure to check out all the rest of the videos on Bustle
and subscribe to them.
Come visit Isafjordur sometimes.