The decision to take a gap year to travel was a call to reconnect with myself on a deeper level. Not to say I was disconnected from myself while at home but traveling as a nomad, away from the comfort of everything I know, enables a space where I can turn inward and explore the complexities that lie within me. I have many questions, and I believe many of those answers already lie deep within me. I just need to remain still and listen.For me this journey is so much more than visiting beautiful countries and exploring their culture. It’s about learning to be kind to myself, forgiving myself for the mistakes I make along the way, fostering patience and letting go of plans that don’t go as intended. Somewhere along the way I have learnt to attach myself to plans that I make. I suppose it’s from past disappointments that has led me to be so fixated on following through with plans. It’s a good habit to follow through on plans but being more flexible leads to a more balanced approach in life. Part of learning is unlearning these patterns and letting go of these past grudges.

Our initial plan when we drafted our trip was to stay in New Zealand until September,find a seasonal job and explore the South Island before heading to Asia for a few months. However upon arriving in New Zealand, we realized that although the winter here is mild in comparison to our Canadian winters, it wasn’t as warm as we had anticipated. We also didn’t want to spend it in cold weather. Of course, the weather was not the sole component in our decision. We quickly realized how expensive accommodation and food is in New Zealand. Even if we were to find a job, most if it would be going towards paying shelter and food. The cheapest apartment with 1 bedroom and bathroom I found was 450$ a week! More on that from David, here. We therefore made the decision to leave for Indonesia a month earlier and return to New Zealand in February as it will be their summer.

For the month we spent here, we explored some of North Island. There is a lot to see and do in New Zealand. The bigger the budget the more you can explore and do. Given we still have 9 months of travel ahead of us we needed to be wise about our travel choices. So we decided to visit Auckland, Rotorua, Taupo and Wellington. More on that here.