travels – The Woman X Collective

I booked our New Zealand trip in September last year and to be honest I didn’t get the same rush of excitement that I normally get when booking our holidays.

It felt stressful booking the tickets, making sure I had chosen the right month to go, thinking if it was the best place to explore, is it worth it?! Should we just do Bali ?!

I doubted the whole trip.

Usually, I’m all over our holidays, I book things seamlessly and I’m organised.

So I felt stumped with the feelings I was having. I knew New Zealand was an impressive country but I think doing a big trip with Maksi made it all a-bit daunting and I just hadn’t been feeling myself for a couple months.

It truly is a multitasking life being the best mum I can be to my son and trying to get my life back at the same time.

All I knew was the if we go, we would only do the South Island, so we could get the most out of it, without feeling rushed. Not only that, I was told the South Island didn’t disappoint.

Anyway.

Once I booked our flights and the tickets, I had to figure out how we were going to do it with a baby and if it was possible to do it in a van, which I guess, if we didn’t have Maksim we would have done it that way, but to make life a little easier, it was getting the car and booking accommodation.

We started off in Nelson, then headed north to Takaka (Golden Bay) and the surrounds of the Abel Tasman, then we’ve zig zagged our way down to Queenstown.

It took a little while to settle in but as soon as we got out into nature, it took my breath away and I started to feel better.

My mental state improved and I let things go.

The stress, the world at home, my negative thoughts started to take the back seat.

Coastal walk Abel Tasman – heading for goat bay

On this trip so far and the beautiful scenery that I have been so fortunate to experience has made me realise ONCE AGAIN how little those “negative thoughts” are.

I’m a big believer in growth mentally & spiritually. I’ve used these methods in my life to make some serious changes for myself and to be able to live a life of flow and ease.

Travel helps me through these times and I thank my in-laws for setting these examples and encouraging us to travel.

Even if you don’t get the whole overseas trip to the Bahamas thing, going to a nice national park near home does the job.

I’m pretty chuffed that my husband enjoys these adventures as much as I do and is super hands on when it comes to Maksim.

Fiordland

We head off tomorrow to Wanaka and finish off in Queenstown.

Soon it will back to reality and everyday life but with a refreshed perspective.

Ciao for now

Over the last two weeks, I’ve been travelling around the South Island of New Zealand with my hubby and 10 month old son Maksim. We still have another week to go, which is amazing 🎉

It’s been such a beautiful, tiring, amazing, frustrating, eyegasming experience.

Mostly beautiful, when bubs isn’t screaming in the back seat because his first 4 teeth decided to rear there heads on these particular HOLIDAY weeks. Anyway.

We’ve been travelling the country side in a 4 door hatch back corolla and staying in Air BnBs and motels, 1 to 2 nights per stay.

Just imagine how many times, that requires unpacking, packing up, setting up, cleaning up, making sure the place is baby proof so my martial artist baby doesn’t break anything or hurt himself.

Can you picture it now?

Babes finally asleep after 1 hour of none stop crying

My initial thoughts when it comes to absolutely anything in life is …” I can do it, no worries.” Haha that’s my motto that I say to myself, especially when I decide to do things that can be a little challenging.

My thoughts in between the process change to, oh god, why did I do this?! How am I going to survive?! What if this happens etc etc etc.

But after those shitty and NORMAL thoughts, I just get on with it. The world provides enough beauty around us that I forget those stresses in life and I enjoy the scenery around me with my beautiful family! And I know that my husband and son feel the same way.

Especially, when I catch a glimpse of my son seeing something he has never seen before. It really inspires me to take him anywhere and everywhere. And it makes me less fearful of parenthood, because we are learning and seeing things together.

It hasn’t been easy, but it hasn’t be hard either.

We take each day as it comes, and I think the best thing I did was give us enough time (3 weeks) to be able to chill on some days, rather then the typical go, go, go holiday.

It’s such a pleasure being able to travel with a baby, and an amazing husband that does so much for both of us!! We thank you papa 😘

Photos of our trip so far are below: