It’s Monday morning, a morning like any other, except today is significant for 3 reasons; it is two months since I arrived in Wellington, full of optimism but with a strange unsettling feeling inside, and in one months time exactly, I will be back in Wellington, after having travelled all over both the North and South islands, which means I will only have two days until I bid farewell to New Zealand and say hello to Bali.
Okay four reasons, I just realised it’s the two anniversary of my first trip to Asia!
I don’t feel anything right now.
I feel like I’m going through the motions; tidying my room, ticking off jobs on my checklist, preparing my laundry and packing my bag. It doesn’t feel like this last leg of my New Zealand adventure is beginning imminently.
I’ve had this feeling before. Before I went to uni, before I travelled Asia, before I moved to London, before I left London for that matter, and before I left home for New Zealand. Part of me thinks it’s a coping mechanism, part denial, part ignorant bliss.
It’s strange now though, because when this trip began, it had no boundaries, no fixed dates, no solid plans, no end date. Now everything is fixed, there are solid boundaries, the dates are fixed and my return home is mere weeks away.
Will I regret this?
I have been contemplating this question recently. Not too deeply you understand, I don’t want to dwell. I want to look at it from a balanced perspective. I have concluded that I won’t regret it, because I tried it. I took a leap of faith. And I’m pretty certain travelling around the rest of New Zealand is going to be even more spectacular than it already has been.
So Monday is somewhat significant. As is every Monday here on in, until I leave. Everyday will be significant as it offers both new and exciting opportunities while simultaneously bringing me closer to the end of my adventure, and returning home.
I’m joining the Kiwi Experience , I opted for this over Stray because kiwi goes to Dunedin and Invercargill (close to Stewart Island). I think I’ll be able to get my animal and nature fix there. I don’t know what will happen in the 31 days before I return to Wellington to fly to Bali but I’m fairly sure it’s going to be a whirlwind adventure…
I’ve also had another realisation… Two years ago today exactly, I was in Thailand! It was my first experience of ‘travelling’, I had no idea what to expect, but the trip far surpassed my expectations. It was magical 🦄. I met the most amazing group of friends, some of whom are my best friends today, we even still have our whatsapp group.
I looked back at some of my photos and it’s unreal that this was two years ago!
My first endeavour to Asia… I could never have predicted what would happen during my 4.5 months away, or what it would be like returning home and looking for a job (my next adventure). It’s so crazy that I’m starting my Kiwi adventure on this very day, two years ago I would have NEVER guessed I’d be in New Zealand right now.
Honestly, this memory has reminded me that you can never predict the future. I have no clue where I’ll be in a year, or what I’ll be doing.
So it’s not just any Monday really, it’s pretty significant.
DistractedFlick 