HAPPY 2019!!!

Well, hello again :) after three months of not writing and blogging I'm back!!! Or, trying to at least. Have been planning to write something for the last few weeks, but everytime something was up: I was just too lazy, did not have the time or well, the most important one; I don't know where to start. So ofcourse I could tell you loads of stuff and ofcourse you'll be wondering how I am now and have been. Got a few answers: really good, super happy, good, happy, sad, lonely, busy and go on. Every week, day or hour I'm feeling different, but over all I'm really happy. 

As you probably know, I'm able to write really detailed about everything. Well, I'm just going to make this bit as short as possible, 'cause ofcourse I could write days about everything I've been upto the last few months. 

So let's start with work. I don't know what I told you about back in October, because at first it was quite difficult. I wasn't used to babysit like this. Somethings I found really difficult and it was kind of hard at the beginning with the oldest one, but I found a way and now, everything is good. Mikey and Leo are such cuties and I love to work and be with them. 

In the first month here, I also gained a lot of weight. Which is okay, 'cause I know I'm the fattest one, but I felt really bad. I ate crap food and didn't really exercice, everything I went was by car and I only went for walks like 1 time aweek. I did something about it. At first, I ate loads of unhealthy takeaway pizzas, burgers and pastas. I didn't cook, so I started to make things: all about the veggies. I also looked for a(n affordable) gym, and found one. I got my own programme I went 3-4 times aweek (depended on what was possible with work and so). I felt better right away. Though, I need to say I haven't lost much of my extra-kiwi-weight, but it'll be okay. Since I'll be back on travelling soon, I want to get the most of my last two weeks in Paihia so I decided to quit the gym last week. 

Furthermore, ofcourse I've seen a lot around here and I know much more about Northland (Paihia's district). So I could tell about the fantastic drives I've had, that I found the most amazing spots around here, know all about the Kiwi (= New Zealand, for those who don't know) lifestyle and customs, but I rather talk about the last few weeks: Christmas and NYE with....................... DEEN!!!! My brother came to visit me during his Christmas break. We were quite on a rough path before he came so it was really good to see each other again. I was so happy to see him,and he was really happy to see me. The moment we were together again it absolutely didn't feel like we didn't see each other for 3,5 months. It was like we'd seen each other  the week before. The only thing that was different was that he had been growing. Not only in length, but yes you could see he had been training since I left. We've talked a lot, laughed a lot, saw a lot and I was so happy that after a few weeks of being lonely (which I was totally with by the way), I had a friend around me to talk to. And to talk Dutch to. I hadn't spoke Dutch for about two months by then (except on the phone, but that's not the same at all). 

We did things all around Paihia and enjoyed the most of the time together. We celebrated Christmas together. Which was not really Christmas for me. Next to the warm weather, it was so different then home. The weeks before I didn't got the usual Holiday-feeling I usually have. There were no cute lights around town and it's late dark so I didn't get the vibe. And on Christmas day itself (which was just the one day, not Christmas Eve or a second day) it was weird. At home we make food and eat it at one big table all together, course by course. Here, we didn't really sit together with the table all made up and all together. I don't know, it was weird. I was happy that Deen was there so I did have someone from my family to share Christmas with. At the second day, we went to the beach during the day and went out for together. So we did still get little vibe of the second day of Christmas. The day after we both got really sick. It probably was a little virus we picked up. It was okay, it only took one day and I was supposed to work that day so we would've stayed home anyways. 

The last weekend of 2018 and after we were better again. I didn't need to work and so I showed Deen as much as I could: we went up to Cape Reigna with stops on the way at St. Paul's Rock, Puketi Forest, Matauri Bay, 90 Mile Beach. The day after we went parasailing in the bay here in Paihia, that was so cool. I showed him Whangarei Falls and we went down to the beach at Matapouri Bay. On Sunday we stayed in Paihia, slept in and went for a walk to the view point to look out over Paihia. At night we went on Darryl's Dinner Cruise. Which was magical an delicious. We had such a good time that weekend. On the last day of the year, I had to work. But after, we went for dinner at my hostparents' restaurant Zane Grey's. We had an amazing meal before we went to the deck of the restaurant to celebrate 2019. It was really different than home, no crazy fireworks everywhere but just one amazing show which the whole bay watches. And after, the party there was over quite soon so we weren't home at a crazy hour. The last two days we went down to Auckland. To show Deen the best of Auckland, we went away of the city to Rangitoto Island and walked up the summit. 

It was so weird when Deen left. Suddenly I was alone again. After being used to it for 2 months, it was weird to be alone in my room every night, so the weekend after it was quite hard. But I started to go to the beach again and ofcourse I saw New Zealand's beauty. And during those last few days with Deen, I got the news that my mom is coming to visit me at the end of January, a.k.a. next week Saturday she is coming to spend my last week in Paihia with me. We will leave together and spend some more days together on the North Island before I'll be going my own way again. 

It is so weird to think about leaving this place. It feels like I'm home here and I finally found happiness the last year. So I'm enjoying every bit of it and try to make the best time out of these last two weeks. Because I also am really ready to go. I want to travel again. Meet people to travel with them. See other places, 'cause damn, after more than four months on the North Island I'm so curious and excited to go to the South Island or to go to meet my family in Melbourne or see Asia's beauty. 

I'll post pictures today (if possible) or tomorrow so you guys can see what I've been upto the last few months! And I promise, I won't be quiet this long anymore (I'll be back home then as well so that would be weird haha)!!!

Miss you home! xx Janne