Bye New Zealand

Anytime you leave a country it’s bittersweet. You feel like you’re ready for the next adventure but at the same time, it’s hard to say goodbye.

New Zealand definitely lived up to my expectations. The hiking I did here was by far the best I have ever done. I challenged myself in ways I had never challenged myself before. I went camping for the first time. I hiked up mountains and down mountains. I hitchhiked and met some incredible people along the way.

And that last bit is the key point.

I met a couple from Seattle just a few hours ago and the woman, Susie, asked me what my favorite place is of all the places that I’ve traveled to. It’s an impossible question to answer really. I like so many places for so many reasons. But the common thread is that I met amazing people in each of those places.

You don’t like a city for the architecture, the nightlife, or even the food (okay sometimes the food). What really hooks you is the people. The conversations you have, the ideas you share with each other, and the ability to be open with others, the ability to be human. It’s something, at least in my experience, I don’t get at home most of the time.

In short, we fall in love with the energy of a city or a country. And the energy is created by the people that both live there and are visiting.

Sure, I could say the highlights of my travels in New Zealand were hiking the Kepler Track and stargazing in Tekapo. Those were experiences that I will remember for a long time. But the reason they were special is because of the people that I shared them with.

I met so many authentic individuals and had so many open and judgment-free conversations these last few weeks. I wish I could list all the people that I met here but it would be impossible. And I know that for the most part, this will be the only time I will ever see them and I am at peace with that. I would like to reconnect with some of them in the future but that is out of my control to a certain extent.

The journey continues and I can only keep moving forward. More experiences and more beautiful people await me in Australia. I am sure of that. I just need to keep being myself because that’s the best gift I can give. Everything else will work itself out if that is my starting point.

Goodbye New Zealand! Until next time!