Fashion Photography | Travel | Lifestyle

Priorities..

I can’t believe my last update was in August.. I actually half wrote a post at Christmas time but never found the time to finish it 🤦‍♀️ So I’m finding the time to write this whilst feeding my coffee addiction in a cafe in Blenheim. I’ve been feeling pretty burnt out lately so I’ve forced myself to go away for a quiet non-activity weekend (without my paddleboard or bike!).

Life’s been pretty amazing lately – I write that with complete guilt because I know it’s been quite the opposite for everyone back in the UK. (I also feel incredibly guilty every time I post another paddle board photo on social media). Despite some set backs (still unable to drive – two months to go) i’ve been feeling amazingly content. I enjoy my job and don’t get the horrible Sunday night feeling.. I spend my weekends and evenings doing things I love with awesome friends around me. Paddleboarding has just become a part of me because I couldn’t imagine being without it, and I’ve also been really getting into mountain biking. Of course I had to pick the hardest place to learn, Nelson is known for it’s harder graded trails but you learn best when chucked in the deep end right?!

I’m super blessed to have no shortage of people to go biking with – there’s such a mountain biking community here it’s epic and I took part in my first mtb race at the end of last year, called ‘Shred like a girl’ enduro. It was so cool to see so many girls taking part, it was such a buzz and I’m really hoping I can take part this year too.

I’ve been working full time, but I work longer days so that I can have every other Friday off, which gives me a chance to catch up on my photography. I lost my creative buzz for while because it’s so hard to balance my time when i’m trying to do everything else here. However I had the honour of recording my friends wedding in Marlborough a month ago. It was my first ever wedding video (😬) which was insanely nerve wracking, but I loved every second of it. Everyone was so friendly and it was also great to play part-videographer & part-guest so I got to eat the food (hello cheese-cake 😍) & pack the camera away at the end of the day to join in with the celebrating.

I delivered the finished video to them yesterday & they love it so mission accomplished – I will share it on my socials very soon. It’s reminded me how much I love video so i’m sensing some fresh ideas coming soon..

I was worried as to how Christmas was going to go down considering it was my first single & without family, but it turned out to be the busiest i’ve ever had. Christmas eve was spent with my friend and her family, then in the morning I went out paddleboarding with a friend and afterwards spent the day with my kiwi mum (thanks Andrea!) and we hilariously got each other the same Christmas present. 🤣 I purposefully stayed away from social media, went on a ridiculously hard biking mission (which we still laugh about now), celebrated new years in an impressively busy Nelson town, and then stayed in Golden Bay for a friends birthday which was so much fun my cheeks hurt for at least a week afterwards 🤣

Of course it doesn’t matter how many good people you have around you, nothing can replace your family and so there is always a part of me that feels lonely without them. It’s one of the sacrifices i’ve had to learn to accept. On the other hand though, my visa is up in June and I’m praying more than anything that I can stay here longer. It’s a bitter-sweet situation but i’ve never felt happier here.

With the impending visa situation creeping up on me I find myself trying harder than ever to fit everything in – hence the burn-out. I seem to have more hobbies than I can handle and it’s made me realise I really need to learn to prioritise better, knowing that I can’t do everything. I will only have two months left here once I can drive again, so i’ve decided theres no point me buying a car, which frees up some money to do one crazy thing I haven’t completed yet – a skydive. Hoping to make this happen next month!

I’ve had to take a backseat on my running due to injuries but thankfully the physio is helping. Realistically though, when i’m working long hours in an office, I don’t have a lot of time nor enthusiasm to continue to stare at a computer when I get home, which is why i’ve been bad at keeping this updated, and why i’ve not done many photoshoots lately.

Once I have some more news I will write another update but for now, i’m grateful for every moment I have here. I know that I am incredibly lucky to not be stuck in the UK, and I feel for everyone back home. Miss you all, you’re doing blooming well. I know a lot of people i’ve spoken to are keen to travel NZ once the pandemic is over, so if you have any questions about life in NZ, throw them in the comments below 😊

Now excuse me whilst I go make the most of the spa bath and bottle of wine all to myself 🙊

Harriet 📸