Day 4 So grateful to be here, in my homeland of New Zealand. It’s been an accidental year here for sure – and the quick visit home has been anything but fleeting! Throughout this year it’s been impossible to forget how lucky we are here in our safe, beautiful little paradise with lockdowns, minimal virus, and excellent leadership. I’m so inspired every day by our prime minister and the choices she has made for our country. I hadn’t expected to call New Zealand my home for any of 2020, but if it had to be somewhere, I feel immensely grateful & lucky it’s here. I’m also super thankful my American boyfriend was able to come here with me, and get through the visa process to stay so smoothly. I can’t imagine how he feels being essentially stuck here (he’s here legally, but due to being a temporary visa holder if he leaves the county, he wouldn’t be allowed to re-enter again due to our current strict border control for citizens and permanent residents only) away from his family and many of his friends during which is such an important and challenging time in the US. But I’m so thankful we get to be here, safe, and together while we wait it all out. Photo: Throwback to a beach in golden bay NZ, a few summers back now.
Another perfect weekend day started with beach walks and pancake breakfasts, open air massages to the sounds of the ocean lapping just meters away followed by an afternoon beach club beer catching up on travel planning & booking exciting 2020 plans ahead.
day 31 and today I am grateful for releasing a newly hatched sea turtle into the Pacific Ocean. Such a special thing to do and way to learn about how precious our marine life is, and how we should be doing more to preserve it. And.. my heart! How tiny and how cute these babies are! I cheered this one on all the way into the ocean ?
day 28. I’m grateful for.. tacos in all their many, delicious forms mid afternoon naps avocado with everything deep conversations with strangers rest & recovery all the mole fresh mandarins & mangos in my day to day life evening strolls when it’s so warm out every sunset..past, present, and future
day 24 mojito lunches beachfront breakfasts new dogs every day feeling more confident in Spanish every day perfect golden sand and crashing waves watching dragonflies chase each other lazy hammock days off work meeting other travelers having the space to write, to read, to think and process every day never ending travel planning booking monthlong rentals in my favourite city and beachy apartments on the way my life, I’m grateful for everything about my life and the amazing plans, things, opportunities, and people it contains
day 20. playing fetch with cute dogs in the middle of busy restaurants swimming in the sea to cool down watching butterflies playing in the tropical gardens finding a Spanish school to help me improve my floundering language skills reading books in the sand hearing the waves roaring at night hearing geckos calling at dusk
day 18. I’m grateful for coconut sunscreen, lemongrass oil and cinnamon. Of mole, fresh lime and chocolate oaxaqueño. The smells that remind me of Mexico and bring me home to all my memories of here and life by the sea for golden sand all over my legs and toes when I walk home from the beach for sleeping to the sound of cicadas and crashing waves for Mexican food and all it’s glorious deliciousness for second hand bookshops and their small shelf of English books for practicing Spanish and enjoying life in another culture from my own for margaritas on the beach for lunch for knowing without a doubt I’ve made the right choices in my life for being able to live in the now, without thinking of the past or future, wishing to be present more with every moment so they don’t slip away from me
Never getting sick of beach-at-dusk snaps! Life continues to roll on by here in Thailand with lots of steaming hot weather, delicious food and incredible beaches. We only have a few more days to go down here before our pace of life changes and we head up to bustling Bangkok then onward to China In my personal and business life things are beginning to improve.. for the first time in months I'm beginning to feel motivated and inspired again. Putting together plans for the coming months and years, writing for hours and updating my website functionality and design (finally!.. http://freelanceexplorer.com
