Thinking back... New Zealand

In preparation for our upcoming trip to Europe: Britain, Scotland and Hungary, my mind returns to the memories of other trips. Since we weren't blogging about travel then, thought I'd write about a few of them.

New Zealand. Christchurch on the south island. 2012.

A two-week work trip for Tim and I was able to save the money to travel with him. New Zealand was my big bucket-list destination and it was actually happening! Imagine it, the one place you've most wanted to visit most of your life with the expectation it would never happen... happens! I was like a giddy schoolgirl. Couldn't contain my excitement and didn't even want to try.

The trip wasn't what I'd imagined throughout my life. I'd imagined a large city, hustle and bustle and... well, that was it really. See, I'd had a pen-pal when I was in elementary school through jr. high and part of high school. It was a boy from Auckland, New Zealand. He'd told me all about Auckland and how he was in an apprenticeship and his goal was to come to America as soon as he could afford it. He'd sent a couple of pictures in his letters, one of himself at work and one of Auckland. From this, and reading about his life, from a young age, I wanted to visit his homeland as he wanted to visit mine. Of course, I had no idea (at the time) that New Zealand was made up of two islands, nor that they had green rolling hills, beautiful lakes and waterfalls, their own Alps, rain forest, plains and gorgeous coastline.

This New Zealand, south island anyway, is what I experienced. A drive (yes, on the opposite side of the road) to Kaikoura to photo seals without any barriers between us. A drive to Ackaroa for a harbor cruise where I took pictures of Hector dolphins only in those waters. Christchurch bus tour, seeing the aftermath of terrible earthquakes. Tim and I both traveling through the plains, the Alps and the rain forest over the course of two days on his weekend free time. Mt. Cook was stunning, Lake Tekapo was breathtaking, and the glaciers were amazing! We saw a Kiwi bird, drove through mountains in the rain only to come through the break in the clouds to a beautifully blue sky with fluffy white clouds that seemed to remind us that there is always something better to look toward.

The thing I think on the most when I think back to our trip to NZ, are the things I saw while with Tim on the weekend. I did and saw so much more on my own than with him, but sharing those experiences together made them much more special. This is my favorite picture from the whole trip:

My husband. My best friend. My favorite travel partner.