The Travel Blog
Entry 1: One Step at a Time
Day 1 – or 3? Or 2? Jetlag disorientation has officially set in.
I am waiting at gate 23 at Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal waiting to be jetted over to Queenstown, mountains and my friend Sionedd. There is an absolute calm under the haze my of tiredness that makes typing this hypnotic, the memory of 24 hours in the sky a fever dream that hangs somewhere still over Kuala Lumpur.
The last few weeks at home felt exciting and melancholic in equal measure. Fear had kept my feelings about New Zealand quashed, my plans non-existent. There is something about leaving a place, even for a short time, that delivers upon it a special residue. The time I found hard to make for friends between café and pub shifts became urgent meetings, charged with an anxious love. The affection I have for my little town magnified by a soon-to-be distance. I’ve never felt so loved as I do right now, encouraged by the community at home, by new friends and old.
The first leg of my journey (Heathrow to Kuala Lumpur) was great, I felt rested and fresh, ready for round 2 – I’d bossed this long hall flying. By the time I stepped on to my Kuala Lumpur flight I felt sweaty and grim, wishing I’d changed like my Mum had told me to, wishing I’d paid £5 for the window seat like Beth had advised. 9 hours later – touchdown and rest.
Before I left for New Zealand, my friend had made me a small jar of stones, each selected for their different properties to keep me grounded and guided on my travels. After she gave it to me, I stood up and it smashed, its contents spilling out on the café floor: an omen! I was worried. Instead, Nikki told me those energies had gone inside of me, my friend’s good will and support kept somewhere safe inside, instead.
In that way, travelling here hasn’t yet felt lonely. On my finger I’m wearing a ring my mum got me embedded with Cheshire clay. Demi got me a necklace engraved with the first letters of our names, Jess a pocket sized angel, I have a blue ear cuff that reminds me of Jess’ calm, Helen gems in a lavender smelling bag, a purple travelling stone from Karma. These, those meetings with friends and words locked in cards are the totems keeping me afloat, in company and encouraged: “one step and a time.”
This isn’t much of a first entry – nothing yet has really happened apart from snoozing and overfeeding. One thing I will say is that the Kiwi kindness I had expected has been absolutely confirmed. I arrived in late last night and checked in to the hotel a few hours later than expected, the receptionist put breakfast on my card for free and extended my room time for an hour so I could sleep some more. A taxi driver gave me directions to the free bus transfer when I was looking lost. Mostly, there is a generosity in the air here that maybe comes with a slow pace and a warm sky. I’m feeling nervous still, and stressed about money and living but so far it feels right to be here.
