When you think of Slovenia, you probably think of Lake Bled…at least, I did. It’s blue tones of the water paired with the lush greens of the trees lining its edge, makes life slow down and makes you feel like you can breathe again. With the castle perched up on the hill and the small church on the island in the centre, Lake Bled easily feels like it been directly taken from a fairytale.
I never felt like a tourist during my time in Vancouver. The more I explored and discovered the city, the more it began to feel like I was back in Auckland. The downtown area marries up with the waterfront, in a scarily similar way to home. Dotted with cafes and restaurants, the ease at which you can navigate the city makes life so easy. I ended up extending my stay in Vancouver…I simply wasn’t ready to part with the city and all it had to offer.
I have currently visited more cities than I could have ever imagined. Different durations and different experiences. Each one transforming my thoughts and expanding my world view. Teaching me more about the world than a classroom ever could. Some places are simply a good experience, a good time, creating memories whilst exploring. Then there are the ones that have such an impact, I have to force myself to get on the plane…back to reality.
I used to despise LA…with a passion. When I visited there for work, I would sleep, shop and eat (in that order). The feeling I walked away with was a negative one…passing this onto friends and family whenever they would ask how my trip was. To me the city felt cold, lifeless and grey. Until that is, I had my eyes opened in an unusual turn of events late last year.
I didn’t really know what to expect when heading to Sequoia. I had heard great things things about the park, but in my mind it didn’t share the same ‘wow element’ as Yosemite. It became clear that trying to compare these two parks was a mistake. They are very different and therefore beautifully unique. Where Yosemite has more of a grand ‘in your face’ beauty, Sequoia’s is quiet and subtle…it leads you on and draws you in. Showing itself to those who venture beyond the first glance.
56.
56 hellos.
56 goodbyes.
56 i’ll see you soons.
56 is the number of farewells I have made over the past five years living in London. In a way, this has become a normal part of my life now. What starts as a simple hello, ends with a difficult goodbye. I would like to say they get easier, but sadly they don’t.
Its difficult to explain Yosemite. My words don’t feel as though they fulfil their task accurately enough. Most of the time I spent there I was speechless. Surrounded the the sheer awesomeness of creation it served as a constant reminder as to how small I was, and in turn, how vast this beautiful world is in comparison.
Everyone who loves to travel has a ‘travel list’. Some are scribbled down in notebooks, others a mental list. Mine seemed to be growing faster than I could check places off. After being in London for a year I realised just how much travel had become part of my life. The majority of that year I had done trips with friends and family, but the question arose after a while…why was I waiting around to go to these places I had only dreamed of, when I could just go myself?
Melissa was over in London for a visit, so what better way to celebrate, then with more travel. Iceland had been on the travel list for a few years, so the decision was made to finally explore it. The thing I love about our friendship is that no matter how much time (and distance) has kept us apart, we seem to just pick up where we left off, like she never left in the first place. I’m incredibly thankful to have many friendships like this.
I’ve been back from Hallstatt for a couple of weeks now. I had every intention of writing about my time there during the days soon after I returned back to London. The only problem being, every time I sat down I write, I couldn’t find the words to explain what I saw and experienced. Hallstatt left me speechless.
