My husband and I recently traveled to New Zealand for our honeymoon. It was truly the trip of a lifetime for so many reasons. We both love being outdoors and are stunned by the natural beauty that this beautiful Earth has to offer so this seemed like the perfect place for us to vacation. Add in the fact that we can go hiking, my husband can go mountain biking, and we can have great food and enjoy a fun night out all in the same place? Sold! We got all that and so much more from this trip, but what we didn't expect was how much it would change us for the better. We had heard that the people in New Zealand were very friendly, but until we were there and immersed in the culture, that fact didn't really sink in. The people in New Zealand were so respectful of their environment, surroundings, and other people (even tourists!) unlike what you often find here in the US. Of course at home we do encounter truly friendly, happy people, who are willing to help their neighbor so-to-speak, but when you come across it, it really stands out and makes your day, right? At least that is how many of my experiences have been. In New Zealand, it's commonplace. Nobody thinks twice about it. It feels less competitive and less materialistic. We had been in New Zealand for 5 days before I saw a single police car. We would walk on the streets at night and I never once felt uneasy or scared. The culture there just seems to be very low key, low crime, and just all-around happy and friendly.
On our last day of the trip, we talked a lot about how this trip has changed us. It opened our eyes to how simple, peaceful, and truly happy life can be if you let it. We agreed we wanted to bring the culture of New Zealand back home to our circle of friends and family as much as possible. This trip made us want to see past the negativity that sometimes takes over American culture and embrace all the positive and wonderful things life has to offer.
For more about our trip to New Zealand, click here.
Until next time,
Jess
