Honestly, overwhelmed. I expect zero sympathy because I brought it on myself, but life’s been a little tough, mentally. 

I’m currently in between houses, so my car is half full of my stuff. From bedding to my paddleboard, from cycling gear to a bedside lamp, it’s all in there. The transition from summer to winter has meant that my winter clothes are somewhere in the jumble of my car, and I’m having to stick to the few pieces that aren’t packed away. 

I would like to point out though, I still have zero regrets. I’m so glad I pushed myself out of the comforts of Nelson and moved onto new adventures. (Plus I know for sure I’d be very resentful now if I hadn’t). Whilst the mount has not gone to plan (spending majority of my time ill or exhausted and it raining 80% of the time), I have still enjoyed my time here. 

Summer went by in a blink, and I sadly didn’t get nearly as much surf time as I had hoped. Although I think that’s probably for the best, given the discovery of my perforated ear drum and strict instructions not to get water in my ears.. 😅

It’s been awesome to experience living in a new town in New Zealand, I definitely feel like each town has a different vibe and the mount was an interesting one. The location is great given its close proximity to Rotorua, which has some of the best biking trails (if you ever go, you MUST do Te Poaka, so much fun). 

In a way, living in the mount reminds me of living on the Gold Coast. Whilst awesome for a holiday with all the bars & shopping galore, living here just feels like you’ve outstayed your holiday. It feels like there’s something missing and you cant quite put your finger on it. I guess if you work in hospitality or came here with a group, then perhaps it would be a different story. Maybe?

Anyway I’m not trying to bag it out, I definitely recommend visiting the place, its perfect for a long weekend in summer and has everything you could need. After all, I still have fond memories of my holiday here back in 2022 and I will definitely be back for another holiday in summer!

Last month I did a trip away, returning to Nelson for work & catching up with everyone; Then headed on to Queenstown to see Rory. It was great to see old friends in Nelson (I’d really missed that connection), but it already felt like I was going back in time. Not a lot had changed (in fact I’m not sure anything had), which I guess is always the risk with moving away. Once you move on it’s never quite the same going back. 

However returning to Queenstown just felt homely. Seeing Rory again, thriving as ever, catching up with everyone down there and seeing friends I’d known for a few years; it just confirmed the thoughts i’d been pushing to the back of my mind for a while. 

Yes, I’ve definitely not given the mount long enough. But, after at least 5 years of living away from family, I decided I really need to make the most of one of them being on the same side of the world. 

So, I’ve decided to pack up my life (again) and move down to Queenstown in June. It will be my fourth move this year, but winters suck, and homesickness seems to soar for me, so why not go to the one place that thrives this time of year?

Whilst majority of my stuff is still in my car, I have a fair amount of packing to do last minute (like taking apart my desk set up and somehow fitting everything back into my car again). Thankfully though, with Rory’s car still being here from his visit in March when the ferries were cancelled, I can split my stuff between the two. He’ll be flying up to drive down south with me, so at least it won’t be a solo drive. 

After such a positive end to last year I knew things were going to be rocky, as I took on new challenges and pushed out of my comfort zone again. So I don’t see this post as any surprise, although I really hope the next update is a lot more settled, that I won’t be nearly as stressed and I won’t feel like I’m on the brink of exhaustion 24/7. But let’s see what this next move brings? 

I think it’s going to be a busy few weeks ahead.. 

Harriet 📷