I’m going to be completely sincere right here; I didn’t have excessive expectations for 2022. The earlier two years may solely be likened to a nuclear bomb going off on the earth we knew. I ended 2021 with a horrendous break-up, homeless, and crying on my good friend’s couch in Wanaka, the place I used to be crashing for the summer time. Again, hopes weren’t excessive.
In truth, once I look again on the start of 2022, I can’t even actually bear in mind all that a lot. I’ve emotional PTSD. I went via the motions of day-to-day life, propped up by a few of my oldest associates. But I couldn’t actually let you know specifics. It was too painful to commit issues to reminiscence, I believe. I used to be making an attempt to outlive.
We began 2022 with our worldwide borders nonetheless closed in New Zealand, and no concept when it might change. I used to be caught, and I hated it. At the time, I had no concept what to do with myself, my work, and the place to reside. My world had imploded. At the time, I didn’t notice that I might primarily be homeless for half a yr, making an attempt to determine my new regular. Where would I land?
I shortly realized that I couldn’t be in Lyttelton for some time. Space away from the place I had been dwelling and the entire painful recollections was what I wanted. Unsurprisingly, I landed 5 hours away again in Wanaka, my outdated house and the place I knew I may heal, particularly with the assistance of my associates.
But even perhaps after we are ghosts of our former selves, we will depend on muscle reminiscence to hold us on. Wake up. Brush enamel. Drink espresso. Get dressed. And little by little, month by month, I started to search out myself once more.
And then issues started to vary, as they often do. That outdated adage of how time heals blah blah blah is sadly true. With my last ebook draft due on the finish of summer time, I had the right excuse to be away and threw myself into writing. And I went into the hills searching for nature, and nothing makes you’re feeling fairly so good as time offline exterior having adventures.
As I emerged alive once more, I smiled and laughed, and happiness began appearing in my life little by little. It looks like a lifetime has handed since I’ve finished a journey roundup. But as we shift into 2023, I really feel compelled to mirror on the previous yr, what I’ve finished, and my 2022 travels. If something, I be aware this for myself, a reminder of the issues we will do when instances get exhausting, to look again on the place I used to be and the place I’m now.
As somebody who tends to be actually exhausting on herself, believing that she by no means does sufficient, this can be a good reminder that we’re sufficient. 2022 wasn’t so dangerous in any case.
Walking the Routeburn Track
I discuss rather a lot in regards to the energy of nature to heal in my new ebook, in addition to referring to the expertise of strolling the Routeburn Track proper after my break up. With Auckland nonetheless in lockdown on the finish of 2021, I booked a last-minute spot on the Routeburn throughout a tremendous climate spell; it was magic and simply what the physician ordered for my battered coronary heart.
In truth, it was so magic I walked it once more on New Years’ with an outdated good friend.
I believe the Routeburn could be my favourite Great Walk. It’s shorter than most, clocking in at 33 kilometers, and might be walked in two to a few days. It has every little thing: historic beech forest, huge mountains, distinctive birds, basic huts, and good swimming spots. It additionally traverses two nationwide parks: Fiordland and Mt. Aspiring (professional tip: use Easy Hike to relocate your automotive from the beginning of the monitor to the top).
My subsequent purpose is to run it in in the future. Let’s see if I can tick that off for 2023.
Exploring Fiordland in summer time
The summer time of 2022 was one of many hottest I bear in mind on the South Island, and my 2022 travels started proper right here on the South Island. I spent most of January working down in Fiordland on media tasks.
Fiordland within the summertime is magical. Last January was uncommon for 2 causes: firstly, there have been no vacationers. Our borders had been nonetheless closed, and COVID was beginning in the neighborhood; every little thing felt unsure. And it was tremendous bizarre to be down in Fiordland in peak vacationer season with no vacationers. It was additionally boiling – it didn’t rain for weeks and weeks, the lakes and rivers dropped, and the plush forests began to turn out to be dry and even brown. I had by no means seen something prefer it.
But I made essentially the most of it, spending lengthy days within the hills tramping and exploring new locations. It was so distinctive and a major step in my journey of therapeutic.
Hanging out down south
After Fiordland, I made my manner south to Southland, a area I’ve been visiting on and off for a decade. Covering the underside of the South Island and Stewart Island, it’s house to waterfalls.
Living in Wanaka, locations just like the Catlins and Riverton are our go-to seaside spots after we need to go away to the coast. It had been years since I had been again down this fashion, and it was actually particular to get pleasure from it via a brand new lens.
Heading again to Stewart Island
Stewart Island is one in every of my favourite locations on the earth. New Zealand’s quiet third island off the underside of the South Island is wild and distant. Less showy than different locations, you need to actually love nature, wildlife, and being off the grid to completely recognize this place.
I spent practically every week right here final summer time throughout my 2022 travels, which gave me the house and time to heal and mirror. I even took the time to tramp all the best way down to go to the bones of the stranding whales I discovered years in the past, an expertise that modified my life.
Getting offline crusing round Dusky Sound
Perhaps my favourite journey of 2022 was spending practically every week on the Breaksea Girl, a ship out within the distant Dusky Sound with Wild Fiordland.
Milford and Doubtful Sounds are essentially the most well-known fiords in New Zealand as a result of they’re (considerably) simply accessed. Dusky Sound is more durable to succeed in; most individuals fly in by helicopter. It’s been excessive on my bucket listing for ages to go to, and I used to be so excited to spend every week on a ship right here final summer time.
Created by locals to share this unbelievable slice of paradise in Fiordland with others, an journey right here is price it. If you want an expertise to catalyze change in your life, this journey is for you. I nonetheless arrived unhappy and indignant about my breakup and felt 100 kilos lighter. You know, mentally. The meals was insanely good, and we additionally caught crayfish and fish to prepare dinner up on board.
Tramping, tramping, and extra tramping
Summertime means tramping time whenever you reside within the mountains of the South Island. You’ve gotta take advantage of the lengthy days when the solar units at 10 pm, and the snow has melted from the peaks. When I mirror again on my 2022 travels, tramping and being within the hills is an actual spotlight for me.
Last summer time, I spent many nights within the New Zealand backcountry climbing mountains and swimming within the lakes. One of the highlights was lastly ticking off the Gillespie Pass route close to my house in Wanaka. It kicked my ass, and I misplaced half of my toenails, however it was so price it.
Writing and taking pictures my first ebook.
In addition to being exterior and taking advantage of nature on my therapeutic journey, I additionally completed writing my first ebook – Houseplants and Design: A New Zealand Guide (worldwide store right here). I spent day after day glued to my laptop computer at totally different cafes in Wanaka and writing it stored me busy and sane.
Many folks ask me how lengthy it took me to jot down my ebook. That’s truly a difficult query. It was a yr’s price of labor, however the writing took me six weeks on the most. The enhancing, fact-checking, and taking pictures of the photographs had been essentially the most difficult and took me the longest.
At the top of summer time, I spent virtually two weeks touring throughout New Zealand taking photographs for the ebook; from non-public homes to botanic gardens to outlets and cafes, I met many fabulous like-minded plant folks. It was a lot enjoyable and a cool approach to expertise New Zealand in a manner I hadn’t earlier than.
Finally getting again to the US to see my household
After two years of being caught in New Zealand behind closed borders, I lastly managed to get out to see my household, the spotlight of my 2022 travels. Once my last ebook drafts had been submitted to print in March, I booked flights to the US. I left earlier than the official announcement of the border opening with the entire understanding I could be caught within the US, however I didn’t care. At that time, I nonetheless didn’t have a house, and my huge jobs had been all wrapped up.
It was bizarre flying out of Auckland with closed borders. The whole worldwide terminal was closed and empty aside from one bar. But how good was it to lastly arrive within the US? It was wonderful, and I ended up staying with my household for six weeks.
I nonetheless haven’t come to phrases with the trauma that this pressured separation had on me. I’m simply glad it’s over (for now).
Visiting associates throughout the pond in Sydney
Pre-pandemic, I used to go to Sydney virtually month-to-month.
Many of my partnerships and enterprise collaborators have their major Pacific workplaces in Sydney, so I used to be all the time over there. The direct flights from Queenstown to Sydney are often about three-ish hours, making it simple to hop throughout the pond.
It was wonderful to be again, and I spent my time catching up with associates, getting dressed up and going out, and having fun with the massive metropolis life; it was a small however thrilling expertise on my 2022 travels. I really feel just like the theme of 2022 was catching up with family and friends you haven’t seen since earlier than 2020.
Officially transferring into my very own place in Wanaka
By winter, I had begun quietly searching for a spot to reside in Wanaka. Man, issues have modified right here, and leases had been slim and costly pickings.
Wanaka is the type of small city the place everybody is aware of everyone, and it’s often simple to discover a place by phrase of mouth. I ended up flats on Trademe and discovering a pleasant one in Hawea, a lakeside suburb of Wanaka. Many of my associates have moved out right here not too long ago, so it’s an important place to be based mostly.
I ultimately signed a lease for a lovely model new small one-bedroom flat. Just a few of my associates reside throughout me, and it’s so beautiful to have a spot to settle in after 9 months of dwelling out of a storage unit and my automotive. Though I’ll say it took me months to furnish it, and I lived on an air mattress for 3 months. That’s not an expertise I’m eager to repeat any time quickly.
Enjoying Tekapo as a winter wonderland
Tekapo is one in every of New Zealand’s hottest vacationer cities, and with good motive: she’s a magnificence! Roughly midway between Wanaka and Christchurch, it’s a surprising excessive nation city overlooking a shiny blue glacial lake and the Southern Alps.
My houseplant store, NODE, is in Lyttelton, so I typically cease in Tekapo on my commutes between Wanaka and Christchurch. One of my dearest associates additionally lives in Tekapo. I spent practically every week right here on a challenge this winter, exploring the world with contemporary eyes. I’m so glad I’ve made essentially the most of my 2022 travels and skilled my very own yard earlier than tourism en masse resumes.
When Tekapo is absolutely busy with vacationers, it was simple to skip on by, however to have all of it to your self in winter? Well, it was nothing in need of magical.
Self-care on the west coast
I’ve made no secret of the truth that one in every of my favourite locations to get away to jot down is on the West Coast of the South Island. At least yearly, I attempt to make the time to recover from to the Punakaiki space.
Usually, I am going there within the winter as a result of that’s when the climate is sweet and calm (stunning, I do know). My 2022 travels introduced me again to a spot I like.
The West Coast is New Zealand’s least-populated area, so that you typically have seashores all to your self. There’s one thing so nostalgic and wonderful about listening to the sound of the surf or strolling via the rainforest, and it makes me so comfortable.
Returning to Doubtful Sound with new associates
Visiting Doubtful Sound is fairly memorable, and seeing it twice in a yr is extraordinary.
For Mental Health Awareness week, I spent a couple of days off the grid on the RealNZ boat in Doubtful Sound, absorbing the great thing about Milford. We had each climate and many adventures, and it was an ideal reminder of how a lot I like my job and recognize the alternatives that include it.
Remembering my roots as a journey blogger in Esperance, Western Australia
Finally, after practically three years, I took my first running a blog journey abroad on my 2022 travels; excited doesn’t even start to cowl it. This time I used to be headed to a spot I had been dreaming about for thus lengthy: Esperance.
Lucky for me, Air New Zealand has resumed their direct flights to Perth in order that I may hop on over for a two-week journey round one of the lovely components of Australia.
WA (Western Australia) is magnificent. Big, shiny, and exquisite, it’s virtually like its personal nation. And Esperance has the perfect of every little thing. Incredibly colourful, it’s house to the whitest seashores in Australia, the ocean is crystal clear, the roads are earthy purple, and there are salt lakes which are shiny pink. You need to see it to consider it.
It felt so good to slide again into my outdated position as a journey blogger, and it was a beautiful reminder of what I can do. It’s exhausting to remain unhappy in lovely locations like this.
Enjoy the discharge of my ebook Houseplants and Design: A New Zealand Guide
In the weeks main as much as my ebook being launched on November 1, 2022, I used to be shitting my pants with worry and nervousness. I knew there was no level in worrying, however I couldn’t assist myself.
While I’ve thought-about myself a author for over a decade, a ebook was completely new territory for me. There is one thing relatively terrifying about creating one thing over the course of a yr (and secretly, too) after which releasing it out into the wild far past my very own group.
But as quickly because it got here out, my stress started to ebb away. I can’t consider I managed to create one thing so vital (to me, at the very least) throughout one of the difficult years of my life. Wow.
Traveling to Chile, a brand new nation for me
I’ve by no means been that type of journey blogger who tried to tick as many international locations as potential off an inventory. In truth, I’m not even positive what number of international locations I’ve even been to. I get pleasure from returning to locations I like and experiencing them in a brand new gentle.
In November, on the finish of my 2022 travels, I made my manner right down to Antarctica to information my first journey there because the pandemic. The journey routes haven’t picked again as much as their pre-pandemic ranges, and there have been only some pricey choices to get to Ushuaia, Argentina, the place the ships depart from.
In truth, the one direct flights between New Zealand and South America are with LATAM Airlines to Santiago, Chile. A brand new metropolis for me, and I ended for a couple of days on my manner over to expertise it. I had a good time. And I had improbable meals. More on that quickly as I mirror again on my 2022 travels.
*PS I’ve acquired my subsequent spherical of journeys to Antarctica up for 2023 and 2024 – you possibly can apply right here to get despatched all the main points!
Guiding my first journey right down to Antarctica
Finally, lastly, FINALLY, I used to be going again on a polar journey. It had been years since I final stepped foot on an expedition ship, and I used to be dying to return to the ice. Antarctica is one in every of my favourite locations on the earth, and when Chimu Adventures approached me to information my very own journeys there, I couldn’t say sure quick sufficient.
Like New Zealand, it’s a spot I do know rather well, and it’s a spot I can’t shut up about. I’m absolutely conscious that I enter that Hermione-know-it-all state once I speak about Antarctica, and I don’t care. The polar bug acquired me good since 2014.
Over the final decade, I’ve finished seven polar expeditions worldwide, and this journey solidified my want to turn out to be an expedition information. As an introvert, I used to be nervous with 17 of you guys becoming a member of me on the ship (137 passengers on board). But we had essentially the most wonderful time. We all acquired alongside so properly, everybody was like-minded, and we stayed associates. It was a gaggle journey for those who aren’t tremendous into group journeys. You may do your individual factor; we may grasp collectively. There was freedom. It was wonderful, and I can’t wait to return once more (click on right here to study extra about becoming a member of me).
Country roads take me house – seeing my household once more within the US
And to high off the top of a greenback coaster of a yr, I flew house for every week to see my household within the States on my manner again to New Zealand. I’m decided to see them as a lot as potential, and despite the fact that it was a brief keep and I lastly caught COVID on my flight again to NZ, it was beautiful.
How was your 2022? Did it exceed expectations? Any enjoyable 2022 travels or adventures? Share!
