Life is Crazy Good!

And this is what my trip to New Zealand is about…seeing life from a different perspective. Sometimes we are looking for something when we are, in reality, living it. Sometimes we look for a photo from a particular angle and when you shift a few feet–over, up, down–you discover a better shot. Sometimes we live according to what the majority of others are doing around us, like the sheep prolific around this country, following the leader, when if we veer slightly from their course our life takes a dramatic turn into a world of beauty, wonder, and freedom.

Taking a chance, a partially calculated risk, can end up propelling you forward. All those days you spent feeling frustrated and stuck will seem like distant memories as your life flows along a river of rapids. Getting out from behind others, your life becomes yours. There are numerous ways to live this crazy life. You, my friend, get to choose. You do not have to follow the crowd. You can begin to live life on your terms.

Being here in NZ, I see both single women and men backpacking around the gorgeous countryside. They either sleep in tents, they couch surf, they stay in hostels or backpacker places, they stay in hotels or B&B places, or with friends. Then there are those who are riding bicycles around the country and have the same list of accommodation choices. Others travel in cars, some in vans, some in campers, some in motor homes. Travelers sleep in their ride or choose from the accommodation list. You pick!

So far on my journey, I have been staying with Airbnb hosts. It has been fantastic! I have made new friends. I have met lots of dogs because all but one host has had at least one. Some of them have had cats too. My hosts share bits of their lives with me. They provide me with insights about their neighborhood, community, area. My hosts give me their opinions. And the best part is I have complete control of my budget/expenditures. I choose how much I want to spend based on what amenities I am willing to live with, or without.

The same is true for the backpackers, the bicyclists, the campers, the motorcyclists, and the travelers. Life is a crazy good and big adventure and YOU get to decide how you would like to experience it–locked into a home location with set expenses or out on the open road with a set monthly budget with a flexible daily rate. Sometimes you just might choose to sleep out under the stars and that, my friend, can be free! It all comes down to perspective and a new way of seeing things.