It's been a crazy year. I've filled it by constantly doing and loving things I never thought I'd willing, able, or happy to do. Drive on the left? No. Work on a farm? No. Housekeeping? Nope. Skydiving? Terrifying. Months of nonstop travel? Not for me. Multi-day hikes (and with no showers)? Helllll no. Live and work at a complete strangers' house? NO. Live long-term at a hostel and love it? HAHAHA.
And now-- travel completely alone through 5 foreign countries where I don't speak the language? Hey, let's do it!
I have grown so much. I have overcome my most intense and debilitating anxieties and my self-confidence is much, much higher then it ever was before. I started learning through Open Books before I left, but now I know I really can talk to anyone-- and that secretly, very deep down, I like people and don't want to murder everyone. I've learned about other ways of seeing the world and my mind has broadened so much.
I wouldn't change one single bit of this year for the world. I can't believe it's already ending.
Thank you to everyone I met in New Zealand along the way: Summer and Jase and their kids; John, Julie, Mike, Noemie, Martin, Uschi, Carrie, Tommy, Maud, and Quentin at Duvauchelle; Steve, Hannah, Dave, George, and Jammy at Mountain View and the ladies at Lakeside in Wanaka; Toyah and Greg; Beagle and his friends and famiyl; the Woodhouses; and every single person at the Dwellington. The year would have been nothing without you all.
And especially thank you to Kara and Jordan-- good times, my friends!
I won't blog while in SE Asia, since I won't have a computer and I really do need a keyboard.
So- just for now- that's a wrap, folks!