One Year From Home: Auckland to Africa

I left New Zealand 1 year ago, the first time in 24 years. Most of the last 12 months have been in seclusion. Building a cottage on the isle of wight, staying in Edinburgh and working like mad.

Living alone in a Central Auckland flat, My mate Josh phoned me after staring at his world-map shower curtain.

“Bro, what are we waiting for? We should be traveling”.
This was toward the end of 2011, a time when I wasn’t nearly as happy as I should’ve been. Happiness is everything – as they tend to say.

The answer does not lie within a new location. Placing myself in Scotland was never meant to be a problem solver. The shift in mentality is what matters. Traveling illuminates a harmful mind state. Without distractions I watch my thought patterns clearly. Making it easy to change them.

When you are surrounded by all you’ve ever known – how are you expected to change? I would stay bogged in a swamp of negativity; pointing at external factors to explain my unhappiness. I am stripped of the things I used to point to. Everything is new. It is up to me what I do with it all. One big mistake is believing that we are everything that has happened to us. We ruin the moment we live in when we drag in the moments we have lived. We carry them around like a sack – dumping it in front of people who dare ask “What’s wrong?”

And ‘Positive thoughts’ don’t do shit by themselves. My discontent was shoved into view so It couldn’t be ignored. Then I bought an aeroplane ticket.

I used to wake up, read, digest media and learn. I spent all my spare time doing this, but I remained disconnected. I wasn’t sharing, discussing my real interests or really relating with people. That is my reason for doing this blog; It isn’t the best but it is a work in progress. I could have quietly pursued my goal without blabbing publicly on a weekly basis. I am sticking my neck out a bit, risking vulnerability and self preservation. At least I am creating something worth while; I am prepared to look like a dick trying to do so.

Last February, Africa was a “maybe one day” destination; Now I am packing my bags to visit Marrakech. It has been a year since leaving New Zealand. I could never have told you how it would work out. I couldn’t have predicted how lovely and helpful people would be. Buying a plane ticket really is the best decision I made.