HTMW Recaps: December 2018

I normally add a quote to the beginning of each post that sums up or enhances my writing. However, I’m going to use my monthly recaps as an opportunity to sum up the month – be it the mood, the weather, my feelings… Anything really. December has been a wonderful month, full of travel and time spent with good friends. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to come back to New Zealand, and to visit my 27th new country, Australia. My quote this month reflects this.

‘I am grateful for all the moments that I have…’ – Park Bo-gum.

In January 2017, I announced I was going to start monthly recaps on my blog. If you missed last month’s recap, you can find it here.

Wow. What a month December was, and an absolutely perfect way to end the year! I spent just five days of December in the UK before I jetted off for New Zealand and Australia, and I travelled throughout the month. Without further ado, let me launch into the numerous highlights of the past month – be prepared guys, there are quite a few!

The Highlights

A Christmassy day to say goodbye to my friends.

I planned an afternoon in a local pub to say goodbye to most of my closest friends. It was lovely to gather together and enjoy some wine and mulled cider with a giant plate of roast. I was grateful to my friends and sister for coming along and entering in the festive spirit with me before I headed off. This was the only roast dinner of the season in 2018, so I made the most of it and ate a lot!

Wine and sun on Waiheke Island.

What a way to kick off my trip in style! This was my first visit to Waiheke and I’m just sorry I hadn’t managed to make it before. It’s a beautiful island, and we managed to pick an absolutely gorgeous day to visit. There was bright sunshine, blue skies and the most glorious aquamarine sea. As it was L’s hen do, we wasted no time in boarding our ‘party bus’ and proceeded to spend the day drinking plenty of wine, eating delicious food and enjoying the wonderful weather. L really enjoyed herself, and it was the perfect way to spend a hen do.

The really gorgeous beach-front wedding of my oldest friend and her partner.

A few days after the hen do found about 60 of us gathered in a small green space beside Cheltenham Beach to celebrate L and D’s marriage. Thankfully, it was another gorgeous sunny day, so the outdoor wedding could go ahead. It was a beautiful ceremony, with a brilliant celebrant who summed up their relationship perfectly. Afterwards, we continued the festivities with a feast of Indian food and lots of dancing. Later, I took a lone walk along the beach and watched as the sun set over Rangitoto Island. The perfect end to a perfect day!

An evening in the Enchanted Gardens of Brisbane.

A’s friend suggested we walk back through the gardens once the outdoor film we’d been watching had ended. She had me at the words ‘pretty lights’ and duly, we set off. I had expected to be a little underwhelmed, but Brisbane really turned it on! The Enchanted Gardens were absolutely delightful, with amazing light displays illuminating and highlighting the plants and vegetation along the paths. I was in my element, taking heaps of photos and loving every minute. Afterwards, we strolled into the CBD and watched the light show on the side of Brisbane City Hall. It was a cute Christmas story and really made me feel excited about spending the festive season in a hot country!

Snorkelling the Great Barrier Reef.

I will be writing a longer post about this experience soon, so won’t go into too much detail. Suffice to say, this was perhaps the biggest highlight of the month and a truly great day! I enjoyed every single second of the day, and could’ve stayed out snorkelling this impressive reef forever!

A whistle-stop tour of Sydney.

When I noticed that the cheapest flight available to take me back to New Zealand had a sixteen hour layover in Sydney, I hesitated. Then I contacted E to see if she would be around to show me the highlights. She answered almost instantly – ‘YES!’. So I booked the flights. It was a wonderful sixteen hours and I’m so pleased I got to see E before she left Australia. I loved spending time admiring the views of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. E and I had a lovely time and I didn’t even mind the hangover when I woke at 5am the next morning to catch my flight… It was worth it!

A brilliant New Year’s Eve with friends.

C, K and I spent three nights camping over the new year, and chose Opunake as our destination. It had a beautiful beach and we were lucky, with pretty good weather throughout the entire trip. We started drinking early on New Year’s Eve. We polished off plenty of alcohol before ringing in 2019 on the beach, dancing madly to Auld Lang Syne. It was a perfect low-key trip and a fantastic way to say goodbye to 2018 and welcome in 2019!

The Lowlights

Aside from the one sunny day we got for snorkelling (thank goodness!), the weather was really against us in  Port Douglas!

It was such a shame, as it meant that we couldn’t fully enjoy our time in Port Douglas, or explore our surroundings as much as we had planned. The worst was that we couldn’t visit Cape Tribulation. The day we’d scheduled this trip was the worst of the lot. There was violent rain pouring ceaselessly from a steely grey sky and the threat of floods on the roads. We made the best of our time there, but it was a shame that the weather was so bad!

Kind of not loving Wellington as much as I’d hoped upon my return.

I wanted to visit some of our old haunts, so C and I wandered down Cuba Street and then along the waterfront. It was pleasant enough, but I found myself remembering more of the bad stuff about Wellington than the good. All the times we’d wandered the streets aimlessly. We didn’t want to spend money, but were equally desperate to get out of the hostel for a few hours. The indecision over how we were going to spend an evening or a weekend, while trying to do everything cheaply so we could save for future trips. As much as I loved my time living in New Zealand, spending those few hours reminiscing about the old times in Wellington made me glad I moved back to the UK and picked London as my home. I’m much happier there on the whole.

Posts This Month

Return to New Zealand.

A short piece detailing my initial thoughts upon arriving back in New Zealand after nearly three years away.

Reflections on 2018.

A long read, casting an eye back over the previous year. All of the highs and lows and everything in between.

My 2018 Reading Challenge Book of the Month – December.

Blitzed by Norman Ohler.

Recommended by K and my final book of the challenge, this is a fascinating insight into the role that narcotics played in World War II.

It’s not a long book, but extremely interesting. It offers a depiction of the war that I certainly had never considered or thought about before, and is based on facts and historic documentation. The book is well researched and seems to help explain a lot about Hitler’s demise while never excusing the atrocities he committed as drug-induced acts, which is important. It details how German troops were given amphetamines to keep them awake for days on end and to numb them to the horrors of war, which helps to explain why Blitzkreig was such a resounding initial success for the German army.

All together, this is a great factual read about an element of the Second World War that is rarely discussed. I would recommend it if you have a particular interest in the war, like I do, but would suggest reading something else if this is not the case!

Confession: So… About One Hundred Years of Solitude…

I read a bit more and I continued to really struggle. I just couldn’t get into this book for love nor money. I’m slightly ashamed to say that it beat me. I found myself avoiding reading altogether for about two weeks, because I felt like I needed to finish this book before I could pick up anything else.

In the end, I realised that outlook was silly. If I truly disliked the book, I didn’t need to finish it. There was no point forcing it when it really, really wasn’t happening. I was halfway through and still hated it. So I quit. And it was a brilliant decision. I instantly picked up Blitzed and finished that in a couple of days. Then I read two more books in the space of three days. One Hundred Years of Solitude had been seriously blocking me, so I’m glad I took the decision to stop reading it. Sometimes, it’s just not worth the pain!

In December, I also read:

Normal People by Sally Rooney.

This book came highly recommended by The High Low podcast, so when I saw it on Amazon I decided to give it a try. And wow. This book blew me away, particularly because the author is younger than me and yet is so insightful. The way she conveys human emotions is utterly brilliant, and the story is, in my opinion, a triumph.

It’s not a loud novel, but a quiet expression of love, hurt, betrayal, trust, pain, joy, happiness, anger and sadness between two people. The main characters are brilliantly written, woven together for better or worse, co-dependent on one another in an unhealthy and yet unbreakable way. The book focuses largely on key experiences and pivotal moments in their lives together, so jumps around a little. It is all the stronger for this focus, which helps keep the narrative tight.

I was hooked and finished this book in a day. It resonated strongly with me and I cried at the apparent hopelessness of the ending. Two people that are, on paper, perfect for one another, and yet never quite seem to make it. A little too dependent on one another, a little too broken, a little too scared. The perfect mismatch, never quite meant to be.

One Day in December by Josie Silver.

I read this immediately after Normal People and was bowled over by it, completing it in just under two days. It is, ultimately, a love story, but it’s not your classic chick lit. It’s got real emotion in it, real soul, a proper story line set over the span of a decade or so and there is fantastic character development.

Laurie is taking a bus home one evening when she sees a boy standing at a bus stop. They lock eyes and she knows, there and then, that he is the love of her life. But neither of them act, and then it is too late. Some time later, Laurie’s roommate and best friend, Sarah, introduces Laurie to her new boyfriend, Jack. And Laurie recognises him instantly… It’s the boy from the bus stop!

Cue ten years of love and angst as Laurie and Jack navigate their friendship, their unrequited feelings for one another and their lovers. The story is told from both their perspectives and it’s all the better for it. I could barely put this book down, and stayed up one night until 2am to finish reading it! My only complaint is that I was left wanting more! And I’m not afraid to admit that this book also made me cry. A lot. Yes, I was basically a blubbering wreck for three days while I read both this book and Normal People!

My 2018 Reading Challenge is over! What next?

I am in the process of writing a review on my 2018 Reading Challenge. Keep an eye out for that post in the not too distant future.

I thought about doing another challenge in 2019 and I even started writing a post with the books I planned on reading throughout the year. And then I decided against it. In 2019, I’d like to have the freedom to just read what I want, when I want. So while I’ll still post on a monthly basis about the books I’ve read, I won’t have a definite list for the year, and I’m pleased with that decision.

Instagram Pictures of the Month

My photos this month are largely from both New Zealand and Australia, with just one from London before I departed.

I choose these three images based on which got the most likes on Instagram and then tell the story behind the picture. Disclaimer: They are not necessarily my favourite photos!

All Blues and Greens, Waiheke Island, New Zealand.

Not only the most popular post of the month, but also one of the most popular of the year! This picture just sums up how glorious Waiheke Island was that day – all bright blues, shining greens and brilliant reds where the Pohutukawa trees had blossomed, heralding the approach of Christmas. We drank, we chatted, we laughed, we ate, we had the best day.

Always Get Up High, Brisbane, QLD, Australia. 

I like to get up high and see the view over a new place whenever possible, but we had an ulterior motive to take a ride in the Wheel of Brisbane that day… We were hot, and we welcomed a few minutes in the air-conditioned pod we rode in! The result was this photo, which turned out to be an unlikely popular image in December!

The Opera House, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

We arrived just as the sun was setting, and stayed to have a few drinks at the Opera Bar, taking in the wonderful views of the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. Afterwards, we strolled back to E’s neighbourhood and continued drinking in one of her local pubs, staying out far later than either of us originally intended! This was the money shot from sixteen hours in Sydney…

My Favourite Image: December 2018.

For 2019, I’m introducing something new and will be adding my personal favourite image of the month in these recap posts. This means that I’ll now share four photos, and you’ll get to find out even more about my life in London or my travels!

Watercolour Sunset, Auckland, New Zealand.

I stood and watched as the almost comically large cruise ship inched its way out across the bay. The sky was awash with a peach glow and Rangitoto Island shone black on the horizon. It was a balmy evening, the sand was warm between my toes and I’d just watched my oldest friend get married. This was the perfect end to the day. I felt suddenly at peace and very relaxed. A beach, a good sunset and a happy day will do that.

Coming Up in January

I’m kicking off January in New Zealand, with a few days on the North Island before I fly to Queenstown and spend a couple of weeks travelling on the South Island. It’s my 30th birthday on the 5th of January and to celebrate, I’ll be going offline for 24 hours and heading to Doubtful Sound for an overnight cruise. I’m beyond excited for this – it’s been on my bucket list for years and I’m thrilled to finally get to do it! Other than that, I’ll be in Te Anau, Glenorchy and Wanaka, with side trips to Milford Sound, Arrowtown and a few other places. I’m planning to walk, read, write and relax!

I arrive back in the UK on the 19th January and am back to work on the 21st. I have very few, if any, plans lined up for my return. I’m guessing I’ll be a little broke by then, so expect it to be a low-key end of the month before things pick up again in February!

Be sure to keep up to date on the last couple of weeks of my trip in January on my Instagram feed and stories.