It's been a while since I posted something here. I have been on the road for two whole months here in NZ and I haven't opened my laptop during that time. Talk about a detox?!? :) I still had my phone so I could roam the internet and post some pictures on my Instagram and Facebook to keep you guys updated, but that is about it. So, what did I do in my spare time when I wasn't walking or driving? I wrote a lot in my travel diary, I though a lot about life in silence in my camping chair overlooking lakes and mountains, I read books, ... and so on.
I did lots and lots and lots of driving. I think I covered about 13 000 kilometers of land. That is a lot. I did all the driving. I couldn't let my travel partner drive with my car Olav, because she wasn't covered with the insurance. I got a lot of backpain from it, that's for sure. But I managed. I got used on driving on the left side of the road. When I see movies or pictures with people driving on the right side of the road I'm really thinking: "What are they doing?!? They are driving on the wrong side of the road" It is going to be fun when I get back home :D
I did lots of walks too. I never walked so much in my entire life. But NZ is a walking country so you have to do some walks. And most walks are climbing up to a viewpoint on a mountain, hahaha. I will tell you, my legs never got used to it. I still am a terrible climber. I go down really fast, but I go up really slow! But I always managed. Exept that one time when I climbed Mt. Herbert. But that is a story for later.
So here I am post roadtrip, situated in Picton for at least a month. Well half of the month is almost over. So I still have two weeks left here. I am currently working in a hostel called Fat Cod Backpackers. I work here for accomodation. So it is really cheap. I just have to buy my food. That are still a bit of expenses, but that is fine. I'm not spending too much.
At the moment there is not a lot to do in Picton. Picton is the town where the ferry arrives from the North Island. So it is literally the gate to the South Island. A funny anecdote. When I took the ferry to the South Island back in March, as soon as the South Island came in sight, the people on the ferry stood up from their chairs and pressed their noses against the window and started taking pictures. It was so silent with the occasionaly 'wow' here and there. People were in awe of seeing so much beauty. For some reason the whole scene reminded me of Jurassic Park, haha. So I started calling the South Island, Jurassic Park.
But enough of that. So I am in Picton, working for accomodation in a hostel. The last thing I wanted to do, actually. When the end of our trip was near, I started looking for a wwoofing adress. Wwoofing is working for food and accomodation. So you earn no money. This is a good alternative when you are low on travel funds. I was going to do that and in the meantime I was going to look for work for the months of May and June. But fate decided differently. So, I started looking for a wwoofing adress quite last minute and I didn't find a place. So I was getting quite depressed and sad and stressed, because money was going down and I didn't really had a place to stay. I was tired of sleeping in my car for two months. So as desperate as I was I send an e-mail to a hostel who were looking for some wwoofers for the reception. Then I went to sleep and the next morning I got an answer from, yes indeed, the hostel. I could start immediately. My travel partner Elodie was also going to Picton because she also found a place in a hostel, so I didn't have to drive all alone to Picton, which was a six hour drive from Kaikoura. So there you go. The universe thaught me lesson. No judging until you actually do it.
Working in the hostel is pretty okay. It is a family owned hostel, and they are all really nice and the staff flat is nice too. I work 3 hours in the afternoon doing the reception and the laundry, in the morning and the rest of the day I can do whatever the hell I want. I started looking for work for the mornings to earn some money and to do something just to keep me busy, because I am really bad at doing nothing. It stresses me out funny enough, haha. But the job hunt isn't easy. It is low season in Picton and basically there are no jobs. I first started to look for a job on the internet, but I soon realised that that wasn't going to work, so I had to do the thing I was most afraid to do, print a bunch of cv's and go round in the town asking if there are any job vacancies. I conquered my fears once again! But alas, I don't really find a job here. So I kind of gave up, because I am leaving here the 11th of May to go somewhere else. So who would hire me for only two weeks?!? So I decided to just wait it out and spend my time relaxing and doing what I want! Which is weird, but also kind of fun. Not having to do anything expect watching movies, reading books, editing my pictures and spending time outside and just sitting there and watching the time and the ferry's pass by.
That is a thing that I love about New Zealanders and New Zealand. They are all so relaxed on the working part. Like, they just want to work to earn enough money to pay for everything that they need, the basics, but that is it. I met a Belgian girl in Christchurch who works at a university and her colleagues were worried about her because she works so much. That says enough right? We are so used to it in Belgium. Work till we are tired, earn money, become successful, become rich in order to spend it all on things that we don't need. Why not work less, earn less money but do more things in your spare time and spend your money on things that you actually care about. Why the rush in Europe, why not relax more and take it easy? Maybe I am foolish and don't live in the reality, but it is possible here, so why not in Europe? In Belgium.
I am going to be honest. I am not looking forward to coming back to Belgium and getting stuck in the rush of things. The pressure of finding a job, saving up to find a place to live, the traffic jams, ... OMG, I will have to get used to them again. In NZ there are ZERO traffic jams. Well, in Auckland they have them, but in the rest of the country, NADA! I will tell you, that is heaven! Seriously.
This is becoming a long post, but I am enjoying writing this, I am sorry. Bear with me! :)
So, like I said. The 11th of May I will leave Picton and go to another wwoofing adress. Not far from Picton actually. I will go to a family that lives half an hour south of Blenheim. So on the East Coast of the South Island. I will work there for 5 hours in return for food and accomodation. I am so happy to go there, the place looks awesome, the people look awesome, ... They have lots of animals and they live right on the beach! Plus, it is an area that I haven't explored before so KACHING! I am really excited. I am hoping that I can stay there for two months until I have to go North again to meet my parents in Auckland.
So basically I will not work for money until August. Normally that should work. Because I am wwoofing I will not be spending too much money, so I will be able to make it.
I just can't get over the fact how everything eventually works out in the end. The universe works amazing. I am really happy and in awe how all the pieces fit together. And I think I am supposed to be on the pace where I belong at this time and where I will go after this. I have to let go more. We have to let go more. Everything will work out in the end. We just have to enjoy the time that is given to us moment by moment, place by place.
I am learning so much this year, it blows my mind! I recommend it to everyone to take a break and just go traveling. This is so cheesy, I know, but it is the truth. Life is so easy on the road. That is another thing I like here in NZ. How easy everything is. You can wear whatever the hell you want, nobody will look at you weird. If you want to go to work in your sweatpants, hell yeah, just do it. Nobody will care. Everything is so free here. No judgement. You can be yourself, no pretences, no facades. I really needed this. In Belgium it sometimes is so difficult to be just yourself, because some people judge you for it. Find you weird and stuff. So you hide yourself behind this facade and call this your life. But that isn't life. If you are not yourself you are not living. In NZ you can 100% be yourself without judgement and I will do this in Belgium too even with people judging me. I have learned here how important it is to be shamelessly yourself. So just do it and don't have a care in the world.
So this was it. I said everything I wanted to say. I hope you are all enjoying your time on earth wherever you are at this exact moment. Just breathe, relax, let go and everything will work out in the end.
Much love,
Caroline
PS: write a comment with Jurassic Park if you read this post till the end!
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