Sometimes, when life is beginning to get the better of you and you feel like you're suffocating, its good to just take some time away. And thats exactly what Jordan and I did. Well, not exactly. We booked the tickets a few weeks ago as the plan was to go down to visit Jordan's older brother Richard, which we did. I guess it just all happened at the right time as time alone with Jordan (outside of sleeping next to him in bed) was very much needed. I still had yet to venture over to the South Island but I just haven't had time and the end of the year is slowly, but surely creeping up on us all. So being told I was going to the South Island (yes, told not asked. -although I would of still said yes!) I was kind of peeing my pants there and then just thinking about it.
We flew out to Nelson on the Sunday and honestly it might of been the smallest plane I've ever flown on ever, and I started jetting off on holidays when I was 2 years old... Do the mathematics and that's a whole heap of take offs and landings. It was only a short but sweet 70 minutes, roughly to fly down and then another 1 minute to claim our baggage. As the airports, again are the smallest I've been in. I second thought about my career just being there, contemplating whether to become #1 drug smuggler starting out back and forth from the islands and just grow over time. There were no security related things at all. Moving on... Once we had got our luggage and hired a car we then had to find somewhere to stay for the night as we thought having a day/night in Nelson would be cool instead of heading straight for Richard's house. We ended up in this cute little motel which I'd recommend if I hadn't of forgot the name as it wasn't that far from the town centre but it was still very quiet and peaceful. We did try and find things to look at or do in Nelson but we ended up strolling through the streets window shopping to then having a well deserved glass of wine (beer for him) in a pub to admiring the towns church which ended up us straight back to the motel. Lying in a big comfortable bed, watching Pineapple Express, having some drinks and nibbling on snacks with my boy - how can you blame me for not wanting to be very adventurous on a Sunday Evening.
The next day we had a slow drive to Collingwood. Stopping off wherever we wanted. For everybody who told me the South Island would blow you away compared to the North, I completely agree. *takes off non-existent hat* Wherever you turn your head to look it's so beautiful and picturesque it's as if we are buying postcards from a little shop down an alley to send home to Dad. The pictures on all of them postcards are literally around you. You are in that postcard. Understand? Capiche? The drive from Nelson to Collingwood itself is breathtaking. Looking around and realising how small you actually are compared to the world, as all you're looking at is thousands of miles of the tops of trees and mountains all in rows in the far background, with the very rare passing of other humans.
My favourite moment of the full trip was when we found ourselves stood staring up at the night sky mesmerised by a gazillion starts shimmering down at us. Honestly, it was magical. I've never seen so many in the sky at once. It's amazing how different the sky can be different places in the world yet still be the same sky for everybody. All the days afterwards consisted of going on adventures, taking touristy pictures and getting drunk whilst chilling and playing card games. Overall I'm so fortunate and thankful Jordan even wanted me to come with him and let me explore a small chunk of that Island with his family.
XOXO