It is pretty crazy to think that 21 months ago I set off with my backpack for the third time solo travelling. Only that time I had no return flight, or any real plans for the future. Now, after almost two years, I’m saying goodbye to this stunning country which has become my home and venturing back into the unknown.
So, what’s the plan I hear you scream? I generally tend not to tell you all about any upcoming plans because they change daily and it is just easier to withhold any thoughts until at least a flight is booked. Even though then it is still not guaranteed or set in stone! So with that in mind, here is what the next month or so holds for me…
I never thought about visiting home for a really long time, not because I didn’t want to, but I could never justify spending so much money for such a short trip. When the idea of New Zealand came on the cards, and additional two year visa would keep me on the road and it was my partner who suggested perhaps I visit the family beforehand. So, I took the plunge and booked a flight to London. I was so insanely excited and terrified all at the same time! I never told my parents that I was even considering a visit! You can check out my mom’s reaction to the news here in this video!
When people found out I was coming home, they were more shocked than anything else! They honestly never expected me back so early, and many of my readers (YOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE) messaged me frantically thinking that this was the end to my travels. Well fear not. I’ll be back in England for around 3 weeks till I head back out again. But where?
We have a flight booked to Thailand at the start of June, which involves a 26hour stop over… somewhere. I’m keeping that one a secret! We shall spend around 9 days exploring Bangkok and Chang Mai. It was my initial plan to spend 4 months in Asia before heading to New Zealand, however, due to unforeseen circumstances, I had to leave my job, which left me penniless. But, the show must go on! So a huge road trip of Asia will have to be put on the back burner for now until my bank balance likes me again!
From Bangkok, I’ll fly straight to Aukland, New Zealand to start a Working Holiday there. Hopefully with plenty of trips to other countries and finally I’ll make it to Asia for the big one!
I’m actually dreading the cold. We will arrive in June, and temperatures drop to the minus numbers. I miss the sunshine. I like the heat! But I have English blood, so I’m sure I shall acclimatise back to the blistering winters.
What else is new? Well. Something very exciting! From Thailand onwards, I shall be travelling with ONLY hand luggage! Yep. I’ll be packing up for a winter in NZ with only hand luggage! I have wanted to make the switch for months now, so I grabbed a 40l holdall/backpack and I’m going to go for it! I have to be honest, I am sick to death of living out of a backpack. But there will be more on this later! So keep a look out for the Hand Luggage Only challenge on my channel! (P.S. I have no idea if my new bag meets the dimensions for carry on. We shall soon see when I try and get my flight back to England… Eeeep.)
So there you have it. As it stands within the next 6 weeks I’ll be visiting England, Thailand and NZ (plus my mystery stop over country). Any tips for exploring Bangkok and Chang Mai in just 9 days? What can we not miss? Also, has anyone been on a working holiday in NZ? What was it like? Any advice for keeping warm?
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