Posts by : Izy Berry

This has been a year of ups and downs, with a lot of contrast. I started off the New Year quite royally in Budapest, blind drunk on their delicious and unforgivably cheap wine. Budapest is a really magic place, especially during the festive season so it was a great way to start off the year.

At the moment I’m on an overnight bus making my way down to Thailand’s islands, namely Koh Phangan for one of the world’s biggest parties. This year I have a lot of goals and resolutions to satisfy but above all I want to make the transition properly into full time freelance writer and explorer. 

I feel like every year I say “This year is going to be the biggest and best” but this time somewhere deep inside really means it.
 

Coachella 
One of the biggest highlights for me was my first trip to America, which was for the sole purpose of attending Coachella. I fell in love with San Diego in the process, ate too much mole and tuna tacos and enjoyed Coachella so much I knew that it wouldn’t be my last. I can’t even describe how it feels to run between different stages at a concert, only to be absolutely spoiled with good music and overwhelmed with choice. 

 Visiting Home
After being overseas since June 2011, I finally ventured home in May 2012, marking the longest I’d been away from New Zealand, ever. I got to catch up with friends, enjoy time with family and see a little more of my country I love so much. As much as it sucks being away so much and missing people, it’s a really incredible feeling being connected with friends you’ve kept in touch with well. 

Meeting My Nephew
As much as travel is a priority for me, nothing can compare to meeting my nephew for the first time – to see the next generation of your family and to meet someone that your sister made, entirely. It was one of the coolest things that I have ever experienced, and while not at all travel related it is definitely a highlight of my year. This was his look on his face when he realised his mama had left him alone with me overnight – oh no! 🙂 We both survived! 

Moving To Spain
Although I didn’t post about it nearly enough, moving to Spain was one of the greatest things I’ve ever done. I’ve spent a lot of time in countries where I’m not particularly interested in learning the language, but Spanish is something I’m very keen to learn. Above that, Spanish people are very fun and San Sebastian certainly holds its rightful spot as one of my favourite places in the world. I did have to put up with a lot of weird Spanish things though! 

Traveling Morocco
Although at times traveling Morocco was frustrating and tiresome, it was really cool. I’ve not been anywhere like there before, and while I complained a little too much about the surplus of Targine, I must admit I’ve found myself missing it a little. The medinas were really an experience in themselves, too. 

Plitvice Lakes, Croatia
One of the most breathtaking sights I’ve ever seen – so much so that my travel buddy actually thought I was being sarcastic because my enthusiasm was too much for him to take. Crystal clear water, beautiful scenery – it’s really a dream and a must-see if you’re in Croatia any time soon. 

 The Alhambra
I hadn’t really heard of the Alhmabra, but I’d heard of Granada and from everyone’s account I was sure to like it. I loved Granada and thanks to the gratis tapas (free tapis) it quickly made its way into my “I could live here!” book. We explored the Alhambra on a sweltering hot day and although we were desperate for air con, it is certainly one of the most incredible buildings I’ve ever seen. Move over Eiffel tower, Spain’s got something on you! 

Returning to Asia
I love Asia – it’s no secret. I have a long standing love affair with this region and I can’t seem to shake it. Europe’s comfortable.. America’s America… but Asia is fun, and it pushes the boundaries but only in the best way. When I was recently in Bangkok we finished off a night out with a ride in a supercharged tuk tuk – it had crazy lights, amazing sounds and we tore around Bangkok’s streets at ridiculous speeds with Michael Jackson blasting. This stuff just wouldn’t happen in NZ, especially not for $8… and it’s part of the charm. It feels good to be back and I’m already feeling anxious about leaving! 

Getting Paid to Write
For the past 2.5 years my mind has been focused on travel; there’s been nothing else that’s pulled me or captivated me as much. Now I’ve figured out a way to do something I love (writing) for money, which in turn allows me to fund something else I love; travel. I feel like people spend their whole lives trying to get to the point I’m at – although I must admit my bank account is looking pretty dismal and my work/life ratio is out. Either way, I’m getting started and it’s going good. 
 

I can’t wait to see what I can write about 2013 at the end of the year 🙂 Hopefully it’s jam packed with awesome adventures! 

Have you got anything cool planned for 2013? I need some inspiration.  

I knew that this time when I left home, much like the first time I left in 2010, that it would be a big thing. Not just a holiday with coconuts on the beach and awkward tan lines, but that there would be big change within me. I know I wont return home the same. 
 

That change, the shifting of my core and the things that really drive me, deep down, has already started. 

14 hours of transit from Auckland onto Melbourne and Singapore left me with an opportunity to think, to mull. I was hurt when I was home, by someone I cared about but there was something else that was stinging deeper – I was hurt by the loss of the future I’d imagined; the possibility that had baited me home in the first place was long gone.
 

I’d loss my tomorrow, which gave me two options: to reinvent a new tomorrow, or to focus on today. 
 

I’ve spoken about things I wish someone had told me and missing out on things, but one thing that I think travel forces you to do to is to be present. Whether it’s because you’re in such awe of the beauty of Ha Long Bay that your breath is literally ripped from you and you can’t do anything but stare, slowly, and breathe it all in. Or maybe it’s because you arrive in India in shortshorts, busloads of men staring and no real plan, only to find that any form of comfort has been winded out of you.
 

In those moments: those beautiful moments of true chaos, whether of supreme beauty or unfamiliarity, there’s nothing else. For those moments there’s no tomorrow, yesterday is well and truly gone so all you have is now. You’re forced to maintain eye contact with this moment. Instead of hiding behind the future you let this moment fuel you. You surrender to the now.

In normal day-to-day life there’s responsibility, there are bills, commitments and plans. There are things we should be doing better: our diet, our exercise, our finances, our relationships… we should just do more, better, all of the time. Because if we do then eventually we will get to a point in time where we are really happy. Hell, even if we’re pretty happy right now, we could be happier – if we had this or did this.
 

We’re always so close to happiness, but we never really reach it or if we do we guilt ourselves into thinking we need more of it.
 

I think a lot of us get lost in the possibility of tomorrow, or next year or in a decade. We fall in love with our future selves; they are fitter, nicer, smarter and more settled. Their bank accounts are richer, our future kids are cute and we’re finally doing what we really, truly want to do – but only in our minds.
 

What I learned when I was home in Christchurch, a little too abruptly, is that tomorrow is certainly not promised to us. All you have is now.

I wonder what I could have achieved in life if I’d stopped daydreaming about what I would or could be, and just was me, right now.
 

There’s that silly quote that the present is called the present because it’s a present: a gift. I think that’s a horribly cheesy way to look at it, but the truth is right now is all we’ve got, so it’s time I start enjoying it completely.

Started things off with a 40 baht Thai dish that burned my face off, wandering around unfamiliar streets and falling in love with this side of the world all over again.
 

I love Asia. It feels really good to be back. 

I’m not in Asia at the moment.

I was supposed to be somewhere in Thailand drinking fresh coconuts and rocking some awkward tan lines, but I’m not. I decided to stay, for something – for someone. It didn’t work out, in fact it exploded in the worst possible way and something that was quite lovely became toxic and painful. But, at the very least, I know and I can move forward with a clear mind and a heavy, but hopeful heart. 
 

This poster is probably the single most moving piece of text I’ve ever read, because it always seems to find me when I need it most. Sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day lives or heartache that we forget to start living, truly and without restriction.

The thing is, we only get one shot at this life thing so you gotta do what works for you. 

It’s always sad, mourning that loss. But one thing I’ve learned over the years is to trust in the universe, no matter how uncomfortable or confusing something is. Because it always seems, somewhere down the track – whether it be a month or a year – you get this sense of knowing, of understanding.
 

You finally understand everything before this moment had to happen exactly as it did so that you can be here, present, and in this moment.
 

Right now that feels a world away, but I know it’s awaiting me and I’m excited to experience that feeling, in time. 

For now I’ve decided to focus on the wonderful and beautiful things in my life, rather than all the hurt and confusion. So these are my goals. 

* At present I’ve visited 31 countries, which is pretty decent for two years travel. For 2013 I’d like to get up to 40 and I probably should finally tackle China seeing as everyone goes on about how amazing it is. 

* I want to volunteer, a lot. It’s the one thing that really speaks to me, and it’s the thing I’ve failed to do more of on my travels. 

* I want to see my friends and family more. I’m pretty good and disappearing off the face of the planet for a year at a time, but after meeting my nephew and being around my family and friends a bit longer this trip, this no longer feels like a viable option

* I want to learn to meditate. I want to get deep inside my mind and learn more about myself. 

* I want to take a Thai massage course

* I want to get to South America, or at least Central America. 

* I want to do more random acts of kindness

* I want to finish my photography E-Book that I’ve been neglecting since April

* I want to cuddle some elephants

* I want to find a balance between enjoying now but preparing for my future

* I want to turn this blog into the helpful resource I know it can be

But most of all, I want to fall in love with this crazy world all over again. I’m giving myself the world, like I’ve done many times before, but this time I’m going to give myself to the world too. I’m going to dive in, arms wide, and I’m going to see what kind of adventure I end up on. 
 

What’s on your list for 2013? Inspire me! This list will be a work of progress and I’m looking forward to reflecting on it at the end of next year. 

There are few places in the world that, on reflection, can generate such a deep sigh in those who have visited. When you meet local Thai people in other parts of Thailand, often one of the first things they’ll question is whether you’ve been to Chiang Mai, and if not, when? 

And so you go, because Thailand couldn’t be truly Thailand without a visit to Chiang Mai. 

It was two years ago that I went there and I haven’t been back since, although it’s somewhere I think of often.  
 

The last time I was there I was going through a bit of a rough patch, emotionally. Trying to figure out where I wanted to fit into the crazy world and what everything meant. There was a lot of sadness in my life, but above all there was a lot of happiness and I was becoming more aware of it.
 

I’m not a spiritual person, but I lit some incense and kneeled, taking a moment to gather my thoughts before I prayed to find happiness in strange places – a weird request, but everything I needed to ask of the universe. 

Since then I’ve found it – I’ve found magic in the little things, the things that others might overlook with disappointment or because they’re such a staple of their everyday that they’re taken for granted. I find myself watching leaves blow in the wind and sinking into the melody behind a bird’s song. I meet people and wonder what battles they’re facing deep below and find myself falling in love with the smiles of strangers. I savor things, things I could easily choose not to notice, but I acknowledge them and feel blessed to be aware of them. 
 

That’s what travel does, though. It allows the ordinary to be extraordinary, because it’s foreign and more fleeting than usual. Because travel, for most of us, is a something we know we wont have forever we are more grateful and more aware.
 

Travel is a heightened state of awareness.

So, I think of this temple and my silly little wish and all of the ways it has shaped and influenced me up until this point. And I think of how much I’d like to return there, sit in the same place, light some new incense and I wonder what blessing I’ll ask for this time around.
 

Ah, Chiang Mai – You’ve still got me. 
 

Have you been to Chiang Mai? What did you think of it? 

I’ve had a few great New Years celebrations, one was spent at a random festival with friends some 7 hours from home when I was 15, dancing listening to music without a care in the world. Last year I was in Budapest sampling all of their delicious red wine and beer and basically everything – I don’t like to discriminate. 
 

But the New Years of 2010 to 2011 had to be one of my favourites – which is not that surprising because I was on a boat, and boats have a charming way of making everything a little better.
 

It wasn’t just any boat; it was a boat in Ha Long Bay – one of the most breathtaking places I’ve been.

That’s right, I had New Years Eve in HaLong Bay! 

This is what I woke up to on New Year’s day.

Pretty good – right? While I’ve posted on my blog about how I’m going to Asia, partially because I miss Asia dearly and also because I want to test out working and traveling together in preparation for a bigger trip, but it’s also because I want another New Years in Asia. 
 

Where? I have no idea. But looking through my photos of my New Years in Vietnam leads me to believe I’ve picked the right region. 
 

We organized our Ha Long Bay tour through Hanoi Backpackers hostel, which was somewhat expensive but had a fantastic reputation as being a party boat; and what more would you want for New Years? It seemed a lot of people had the same idea and the boat actually ended up being two boats together, to accommodate the large crowd.

On New Years Eve we played a version of circle of death that involved a Troll card; a person would go under the table and tug on people’s feet in order to drink their drinks and was only allowed up when another Troll went under the table. There were also cards for various confessions, dares and my favourite was having to swap clothes when the person of the opposite sex closet to me – let’s just say my skinny jeans never looked the same again. 
 

We moved to Castaway island where we chilled out, playing volley ball until the sun melted into the sky. As night became dusk we swam out to the ocean, where we were greeted by thousands of little glowing fish, which is a lot more incredible than it really sounds. The night was spent in great company having conversations that stretched to the corners of the universe and life and purpose. It was, all in all, an incredible New Years in a wonderful location. 
 

I have no idea where I’ll be for this New Years, but that’s part of the charm. 

Where was your best New Years ever?  Where in Asia should I go for New Years?

If I’m honest my last trip was weird; I left someone I really cared about in the middle of things – with a lot of questions about us and the future. Part of me wanted things to really work out, he was one of the most incredible guys I have ever met and there’s still a lot of sadness that things didn’t pan out better. But part of me knows it probably never could; he would like to travel at some stage, maybe. 

Maybe travel.
 

Maybe a few years ago I would have been a girl who could have been okay with that. But I think I’ve come to realise that travel is my biggest love, aside from my sisters. I’m sure one day my priorities will shift a little and I’ll want a white picket fence and a cute dog and maybe some little babies, but for now I’m saving myself for the world.
 

As I prepare for my flights into Singapore and onto Bangkok, I’m getting really excited. I came home, I met my nephew and I resolved things with this guy. Now I can leave with a clear mind and a clear heart. I can be really open to the world and all it has to offer. 

It’s funny, because tonight is the first night my room has been fully set up. I have a little travel shrine, a ridiculously comfortable bed and I even spent $30 on a delicious candle – which seems to be an outrageous price for a candle!
 

So I guess part of me is torn, there’s some progress in staying on one place, in settling, in having a routine. But then there’s the rest of the world. The whole world. 

I’ve been sitting here this evening, sipping on some delicious tea trying to accurately articulate why I love to travel so much. Obviously being on holiday is really great and everyone loves that side of thing, but that’s not it. 
 

The other day I was called flippant by a friend. I think he was confused because I’d declared I was coming home for summer and only a few weeks later I’m off again. I don’t think I’m flippant, I think I’d prefer to describe myself as open. Open to life. Open to what I feel is best in any given moment. 
 

And maybe that’s what I love most about travel, it forces me to be present. To be really in that moment of time.
 

In every day life at home it’s easy to get lost in your routine, set your alarm, eat your lunch, do your work, see your friends and rinse and repeat the next week. There’s a time and a place for that, but for me it’s not now. 
 

The first time I was in Asia, I was a month into my trip and I realised I hadn’t worn shoes (just flipflops) or set an alarm in weeks. I owned that moment almost as if it were a badge. Because somehow I’d removed myself from the stuff you have to do and was instead only doing the stuff I wanted to do. Every Single Day. 

Waking up and asking myself what I really wanted to do on a daily basis was one of the best gifts I’ve given myself –Tweet This
 

I was constantly being exposed to new things, meeting new people and being thrust out of my own comfort zone on a regular basis. But above all, I knew I was growing as a person. I was etching away at the layers I’d built around myself and digging deeper into me. 

The other thing I love about travel is when you step off the plane, completely alone you get an opportunity: you can be the truest version of yourself. You can be nasty, nice, loud, quiet, crazy, bland – whatever you want and everyone you meet will take you at face value. No reputation, no social status, nothing – you’re stripped away to your truest version of yourself. 
 

Today I bought the only thing I really need before I head off – a travel towel. Less than two weeks  until I leave and I’m ready. I’m ready to meet some new people, to see some new places and to learn more about this world. 

But more than anything I’m ready to dig deeper into myself and what I want from life. 
 

So tell me, why do you travel? 
 

It seems almost a daily ritual now, a deep sigh with the words “I miss Asia” following promptly. 

Don’t get me wrong; I love being home in New Zealand and I treasured all of my adventures in Europe, but there’s just something about Asia that has me. 

When I long for Asia there’s not one place in mind, rather it’s a combination of all of my favourite things of the places I’ve visited.

The laid back vibe of Ubud
Biking around Luang Prabang, Laos
Iced coffees in Takeo, Cambodia
Thai food
The sheer wonder of the Angkor complex
Waking up and seeing Ha Long Bay outside my window
Riding around Jakarta’s sidewalks on the back of a motorbike
Trekking in Chiang Mai
 

I’m struggling at the moment because my friends are planning trips to Asia. One friend left yesterday, another leaves in five days and another in a few days after that. Because I’m freelance writing, my location is less and less important. 
 

Although I’m very settled in Christchurch and very content here, a part of me is wondering whether I should just nip away for New Years… and a little either side. Although I visited Hong Kong briefly in June, it’s been over a year since I was really in Asia. 

I miss it, but it doesn’t make sense financially to pop away for a few weeks. 

But sometimes the greatest adventures don’t make sense…

Like cuddling an elephant after midnight. 

Ah, Asia – is it time? 

Everyone will gush about how wonderful their adventures were overseas, the people they met, the places they saw and the food they tried. 

Nobody is really open about the fact that it’s hard coming home. When you walk outside, you’re surrounded by the familiar, the normal. There’s little appeal in walking down the streets of your neighborhood in a bid to find something new, because it’s so familiar and you’ve seen it all before. Here in New Zealand everything seems so expensive; even compared to Europe. The weather doesn’t compare to the Spanish sun and everyone speaks English, which is a lot weirder than it sounds right now. 
 

But I need this. I need this time to sit down and figure out the next move.

I need to sit through this uncomfortable discomfort of being home and being still. I need to refocus myself, reevaluate all of my goals. I need to do yoga, run, be on the beach, spend time with friends and family. 

The truth is;  I want this -I’m really happy in Christchurch. I’ve surprised myself by how glad I am to be here and how right this feels. 
 

Whenever I went anywhere and met someone new, they’d hear all about New Zealand and how beautiful it is, and how much they should definitely pay a visit. I’m home now, for a long while, and I want to share with all of you the beauty of New Zealand.
 

In April I lost my camera, which probably doesn’t seem like a big deal, but last night I realised it was more like losing my sight. I can still see, but there’s nothing encouraging me to stop, focus and to see the beauty in everything and nothing.

So as soon as I can, I’m buying a new camera and I’m going to invest the time into falling in love with my beautiful country all over again.  

It’s been quiet around here, I got on a plane from Istanbul to Auckland and sort of took a vow of silence, or something. 

Sorry about that… 

I’ve been busy in the background trying to step a little closer to my dream: location independence. 

You see, for the past two years I’ve had an adventure. I’ve learned lots of things, visited amazing places like Angkor Wat and Ha Long Bay, I went to Coachella and volunteered in Cambodia. It’s been really great, but along the way I’ve just funded my travels in the ways I thought were easiest: being an au pair and teaching English overseas. Don’t get me wrong, both experiences were great and I really enjoyed them, but I felt like I could do more. I needed to do more. 
 

Part out of curiosity and part out of desperation (read: my money was running out well before my travels were due to end) I signed up to Elance. I figured I liked writing and it would be cool to get paid for it. I applied for some jobs, exited the window and forgot about it. A few weeks later, I had an accepted proposal, then another and then the ball just seemed to start rolling. 

This week is the first week that I’ve got a full time amount of work and the best thing? My three key projects are ongoing. It feels really good to be working and challenging myself, but above that this work gives me freedom. My employers don’t care (or at least don’t know) if I’m sitting on the couch, in my pajamas eating popcorn while I type away. Nobody knows if I start work at 3pm and then decide to go out for coffee. As long as I get the work done, it doesn’t really matter when. I’m on my own schedule. 

The other thing that’s great is I’m earning western money. I’m earning more than I would working full time in NZ, even if I was  using my degree. But I don’t have to live in NZ – I could leverage this money and save to my heart’s content, for as long as this good fortune lasts. 

So, I’ve been busy thinking, where’s cheap, warm, sunny and somewhere I could live for a little while?

Any suggestions? I’m open.