Some people may not exactly consider this an expedition, but we’ll go with it.

Ever since I did a 4th-grade project on New Zealand, I had wanted to visit New Zealand. I was drawn to the high adrenaline culture, the natural beauty, and of course, the boating history. I thought about studying abroad in NZ during my undergrad. I decided to do other things in the end.

About a year after I graduated, I broke my leg pretty bad. Most of the doctors expected the recovery to take six months, with some permanent range of motion limitations. Fortunately, I am too stubborn for a smashed up leg to slow me down. I was walking after about ten weeks… Kind of…

In between growing a new tibia, finishing all of Netflix, and breaking scar tissue with a plastic wedge, I became very bitter about the whole situation. Mostly about missing my summer, so I decided to get another one. New Zealand was where I would find it.

I applied for a 12-month working holiday visa and sent my then meager resume to a few companies.

I planned to work in Paihia for six months then traveled around for a month and a half. The entire experience ended up being one big adventure, with new lessons and challenges daily.

expedition goals:

The main goals I hoped to get out of my New Zealand trip were; to finally see New Zealand, rehab my leg back to where it was fit to go on extended backcountry trips, and to embrace life in a different culture.

The two strategies to get to know a place are to fully exploring one place and seeing a wide area briefly. Working in Paihia, I got to know the Bay of Islands incredibly well. From the best places to find wildlife to the coolest rock features for playing in the swell.

I also had the chance to explore a huge portion of the south island, at surface level, while busing and hitchhiking around with a backpack.

The goal to recover fully from my knee was the hardest goal for me. Trying to get in shape is never easy, but having an active job, and nice weather makes it all much easier.

On most trips, I can expect how it will change me at least to some extent. This trip, however, snuck up on me like an invisible T-Rex.

One particular experience finding a pod of dolphins stranded and dying on the beach, forced me to reevaluate how wildlife fit into the world. It instantly became clear to me wildlife are far more similar to people than I had ever given them credit.

I was also struck by how I could be constantly surrounded by people, meeting new people, and hanging out with those people every day, but still feeling lonely. When I ran into a good friend from home, the comfort of someone who knew me well really highlighted the importance of close friends to me.

New Zealand was also the trip I fell in love with solo travel. I went on a 10-day solo backpacking trip, the first after rehab, in the Nelson Lakes National Park. Every day I moved when and where I wanted, doing exactly what I wanted to do. I also had so much time to think. The time allowed me to get to know myself. As a result, I am super good at staying entertained, and I usually figure out why something is bothering me before it becomes a problem.

Traveling solo ads some risk, but every day has risk. As long as the risk is identified and managed, solo travel can be an incredible experience.

The lesson is expectations do not always match reality, but staying open to whatever comes can be lead to amazing experiences. I missed out on some experiences because I wasn’t watching for them, but I have so many memories just by keeping an open mind.