It’s not easy to leave home with nothing but a backpack, but luckily along the way I’ve made some incredible memories with people. Because I so rarely mention any friends on this blog, I thought that heading home warranted a post that highlighted some of the people I met during my travels. These incredible souls are only some of the amazing humans I know.
the people i met
From Wellington to Paihia, to Dunedin and all the way back up to Auckland, Melbourne to Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, and Perth, Bali to Singapore and Malaysia, Kathmandu, and into Europe… It was so hard to pull names from my mind and put them in a list. There are countless people to name, more than I could ever put into a post. In selecting this list, I chose people whom I’m still in contact with or who made a profound impression at some point in my year+. Some of these people gave me advice, others were close friends, even more could have been considered family at one point.
Ryan
Ryan is a badass entrepreneur in Wellington. Most of our time spent together was spent on e-bikes, exploring the city’s hills without exerting too much of an effort. Every time I was back in town, we met up for a drink or two. His passion for the environment and for the community is inspiring and, even though we rarely talk now, I’m lucky to know him.
Ray
This poor guy has been privy to almost all of my embarrassing stories, panic attacks, and love life over the last nineteen months. We’ve come a long way since our first coffee in the freezing cold in Wellington and I can honestly say that he’s one of the first people I reach out to when I need a shoulder to cry on, advice, or just don’t want to let my snapchat streak die.
Paul
Paul always gave me a place to stay in Welly when I needed it. Our relationship might have had its ups and downs but he’s a really genuine guy that also happens to be super smart with computers. We haven’t spoken since I left the country but I do think about him and hope he’s doing well. (PS why do you look so sad in this picture?!)
Doug
The one that gave me the name that stuck. Yes, this guy, now living in the UK, nicknamed me the girl with the map tattoo. He is another whisky lover so it stands to reason that a night out with him means red wine and whisky.
Christian
Yes, Christian is someone from “home” but that doesn’t make him any less important to my adventures abroad. He’s the one that inspires my spontaneity and the one that gets my wanderings. Without Christian, I never would have spent a week on a sailboat or even gone to the Bay of Islands in the first place. It is all his fault that I left New Zealand with no plans, but he knows that and loves it.
Garret and Char (and Jack and Sophie)
A home away from home. Garret is my brother’s friend from uni, and Char is his lovely wife. I connected with Garret right after moving to NZ and stayed with them several times on my ways north and south. When Ben and Sully came down for the wedding, we were in and out of Hamilton over the week. Garret and Char, and their kids Jack and Sophie, are absolutely wonderful hosts and while we’re rarely in touch, I want to highlight their hospitality here: A+, would stay here again. 😉
Dan
My entire four months in Paihia wouldn’t have been the same without a few key people. Dan is one of them. Without fail, he was there when I needed him and for that matter still is. I’m inspired by his love for the ocean and even though I don’t ever want to scuba dive again, if I did it would be with him.
Taylor
Taylor is another key person from my Paihia days. Lazy summer afternoons at the Duke don’t get better than when Taylor and I parked up with a bottle of rose. Meeting her through Kayak Dan on the tiny sailboat came at just the right moment. Later, we road tripped across the South Island and met up once again in Queenstown for my birthday. This girl is fearless and I am lucky to know her.
Kaylen
While Kaylen says I inspire her, she needs to know that she also inspires me. Her anything-goes attitude toward life and the way that she writes it all down speaks volumes to me – I know that one day I’ll be reading a novel from her. Another fab fearless female in my life.
Chris
From Paihia to Cape Reinga, Christchurch to Dunedin, and Adelaide… Chris is a fellow writer and our road trips were great because we just get the fact that the other needs to work. There were never any time constraints when travelling with Chris, we did what we did, when we did it. He was also there at the death of my car, so props to him for sticking around our friendship.
Adele
Adele made work in Dunedin a breeze. Hospo life is never easy but it can be when you have a girlfriend like this behind the bar with you. Monday nights haven’t been the same since I left. We don’t speak much now but I’m wishing her all the best in whatever she does next (which I think is back to school … good luck!)
Tom
Tom’s been there for me when I wasn’t sure about my plans and it’s the way that he relates to my experiences that really help. When I needed it the most, he was there with wise words of wisdom about knowing myself before anyone else and urged me to take time to reconnect with my own mind. He’s also got a great dog, who kinda became like my dog when I was in Queenstown.
Kaya
Kaya and I first met on the boat, in Alaska, and when I learned she was heading to Dunedin it was like kismet. Kaya also had wise words of wisdom for me and was always eager to hit the road for an adventure, whether it be the beach or a bar.
Zach
I can’t mention one without the other, Zach and John kind of came as a team but I have to write about them separately. We met on Christmas Eve when John offered me wine (hello, how well they know me!). Zach’s been there with travel tips and connections across the Australasia region, not to mention talking me through various panic attacks (over the website, over the business). We only spent a grand total of a week together but our friendship goes beyond that.
John
Like his brother, John’s been there for the panic attacks and the breakdowns. I think I might have gone crazy over Christmas without these two, so I consider myself so lucky to have found them. John’s and my conversations are rambles, but he did tell me about the best falafel spot in Kathmandu (and yes, I did go there every day). (Also, this is one of my favourite pictures of me ever, thanks Pig and Whistle photographer!)
Glynn and Mel and Evan
I’ve known Glynn and Mel for a very long time, all the way back in the UK when we were baby-faced 22-year-olds. Now they’re parents to an adorable Evan and I’m still clueless about my life. When I got to Perth, Glynn picked me up and the three of them toured me around the beaches before giving me a bed for the night. Over the next few weeks, we met up for various things, like wine tastings and lunch by the beach or in the city. They also drove me to the airport on my way to Bali. I have said it before and I will say it again. I am SO lucky to have friendships that transcend the time/space continuum.
Jesse
Jesse, Jesse, Jesse. what do I say about you? I’m so glad this guy walked up to me and asked if he could join our Uber to Ubud because without him my day to day life in Ubud would have been so less dramatic. From the dating horror stories to the monkey business, I’m glad I met Jesse and I hope we cross paths again somewhere.
Ali
I randomly opened my Instagram messages one day to discover a DM from Ali. I don’t normally respond to DMs because, well, if you’ve ever had one you know they’re mainly guys that stalked you off Tinder. But Ali a) was a girl and b) had a story: she is the face behind Girlspo, an online teenage girl support network. Since this was right after my depression post went live, she was reaching out for that… and then mentioned that she lives in Ubud. Done deal – we went for drinks and talked for hours. She’s changing paths now but I think what she’s done is super impressive because every teenage girl needs a network she can rely on.
Rachel
My twin. You guys have no idea how much Rach and I have in common; it’s kind of ridiculous. First of all, we were both on the same flight (different day) on the same airline from KTM to DXB. Then we both have a map tattoo. Then we like and dislike the same stuff and are allergic to the same stuff. No surprise then that our parents appear to be similar, we have the same taste in men, and so much more. We even kind of look alike. They say that you have six other people on this planet that are identical to you, but I don’t need to find them because I have Rachel in my life.
Sigrid
This fearless Norse woman was one of the most interesting of the people I met. She’s a rock climber, hiker, adventurer, and nurse. When I met her in Kathmandu, she had just come out of a remote Nepali village where she’d been working in a hospital. Her and her bf have plans to do some crazy hikes soon. Rach and I just had to nickname her Dora the Explorer, since she was not shy about walking up to anyone to figure out where we needed to go.
**
There are, of course, a million other people I met that made my year+ abroad so amazing. Nineteen months on the road means that I crossed paths with thousands of wonderful, genuine, insightful souls. Some I don’t know their names, others were fleeting, some a mainstay. As I write this, in Amsterdam, four days away from getting on a plane bound for Boston, I have to wonder… who else will I meet?