Roadtrips and Tattoos

@trenthaaland

Happy Sunday you lovely bunch! It’s December! But where the heck did November go?! I feel like I blinked and it was over, it’s nuts! And it's officially summer! It feels so good to be sitting back at my computer and to be writing again. November was a bit of an off month for me in regards to my website. I uploaded a total of six posts and there was no real order to when they were scheduled for. 

I was in Christchurch for the entirety of November with a trip back home for an hospital appointment mid month. It’s safe to say November was a super busy month and while I had content planned, I just didn’t have the down time I wished I’d have to write. I managed to get a few posts up and those, I hope you enjoyed. 

I arrived home on the 30 of November which was fantastic. I was so excited to be back home and have my own bed. I then travelled to Blenheim for my Grandparents burial which of course was super tough but was something I was glad we could do as a family. I stayed two nights in Blenheim, spent time with my family that’d travelled from Christchurch but I also may have got myself a wee addiction. I got my first tattoo! If you’re following me on Instagram then you’ve probably already seen it but it was just a wee dedication to my Nan and Pop. 

So I’ve spent my first full week home and it feels great! I’ve loved being back in my own bed, being able to cuddle my fur babies and get back into some kind of routine.

It’s roughly twelve  days before I’m back in Christchurch for Christmas and I’m so happy that I’ll be spending it with my Mum’s side of the family! Christmas is my favourite time of the year and while this year is the first year without my Nan and Pop around, we as a family are determined to keep there memory alive even more so on a day like Christmas Day.

For posts this month I’ve decided I’ll be uploading twice a week, Tuesday’s and Thursday’s, rather than the alternative three days a week which will come back into play on the 01 January. This is just because I want to slowly work my way back into the swing of things but also because I don't want to overcommit myself in already a crazy busy month.

I’m happy to be back writing and I can’t wait to get back into the full swing of things! 

B x

Starbucks, Road Trips and Tattoos

The purpose of my blog is for me to be able to share my life, the good and the bad. I've always said that my blog is place where you'll find a variety of content and this post is about the time I spent with my best friend a few weeks ago. It was the week I was desperately waiting to have off, as the week before was the settlement of my Grandparents house, see post here. 

I want this post to be a compilation of pictures from our week, something we can both look back on. We went into the city purely for Starbucks three days in a row, we did some serious shopping and went on a road trip, where Ash got her first tattoo. It was a jam packed week but we still managed to have some down time, and most importantly have amazing time together. 

Ash, if you're reading this, thank you for coming to stay and thank you for being the amazing best friend you are. 

B x 

Home Away From Home

I consider myself extremely lucky to be able to know several different places 'home'. There are a few different places throughout New Zealand, specifically in the South Island that I call home for different reasons. One of the places is Rai Valley, which is in between Nelson and Blenheim, two other significant place with a lot of meaning to me. 

I spent a good amount of time at Rai Valley since I had a few family members still living there but also because that's where my fathers side of the family all grew up. My Grandparents and Uncle both owned farms in Rai Valley which involved a serious amount of land which only lead to many amazing adventures and fond memories. The memories from my childhood at the Rai are very special to me and include fishing for tadpoles and other little fish in the rivers, feeding the chickens, collecting the eggs, feeding the lambs, milking the cows, riding the motorbikes. 

My Grandparents still own a fair bit of land in the Rai and have built what we call 'The Man Cave', which is a place we can all go and stay together down there. This Easter I went for a wee visit there with my family from Christchurch. There's no cellphone coverage or internet which is what I think I enjoy the most because it allows me to go back to what it was like when I was a kid and didn't have a cellphone or know what the internet was. We played cards, drank wine and just enjoyed each others company which was the perfect way to spend the long weekend. I snapped a few pictures over the long weekend so I could share them but not only that, this is apart of my family history and to me that's important. 

Pictures will never do this absolutely amazing place justice. Plus, enjoy the cute picture of my Dad's puppy playing in the long grass. 

B x 

Riwaka Resurgence, Nelson

I adore the country I live in and that encourages me to explore new places within my own backyard. Riwaka is roughly a half an hour drive from my place and I went there recently and explored a little. While I was in Riwaka, I thought I would check out the Riwaka Resurgence which is located in the Kahurangi National Park. It's a walk that takes to you to a cave and a deep clear pool where the Riwaka River emerges from the Takaka Hills. It is so beautiful I could help but snap a few pictures along the way. I feel so privileged to live in a country where we are surrounded by nothing but beautiful scenery. 

Above is a picture of what is known as the 'Crystal Pool' with the idea that you cleanse your crystals there on full moon. I'm not a hundred percent sure how often or how many people do this but I love the concept and idea behind it. I can imagine this place being incredibly beautiful on a summers night. 

Getting outside and exploring nature is perfect for clearing my mind. It was peaceful, so peaceful that all I could hear are the birds and the waterfalls in the background. It would be a perfect place to have a picnic and just enjoy your surroundings. It's definitely a place I would go back to. 

B x