I haven’t published an “Update” post like this in some time, but with so many different things happening – both on and offline – I figured it was well time to get you all updated with the latest happenings here in New Zealand.
The only small downside to living in New Zealand, is that we are thousands of miles away from anywhere. While there are countless opportunities to get out and explore Aotearoa, it’s difficult and often very expensive to travel overseas. So, for the past three or four years, my ‘holidays’ have consisted of traveling back to Iowa for Christmas or weddings.
Here on the South Island of New Zealand, summer was a bit slow to arrive this year. We’re normally treated to days and days of clear blue skies with warm and settled weather. Things were a bit different this year, and whilst this resulted in missions into the backcountry being a bit delayed, the advantage was I had heaps more time available to work on this long neglected blog.
It’s certainly not how I envisioned things going; yet, as I’ve learned in the last year – things don’t always go as planned.
I certainly never would have expected life to take me to small villages in Ireland, one of Europe’s most inspiring cities – Edinburgh, the markets of Turkey, the fjords of Norway, the canals of Venice, or the mountains of New Zealand.
Luck perhaps isn’t the correct word to use. As anyone branching off into the life of long term travel knows, it certainly has its ups and downs. Be that living in hostels, dealing with budget issues, overcoming travel planning woes or the unknowns that come from leading a life of uncertainty, long term travel is by no means easy.
So 18 months later, I’m still in New Zealand. There have been no shortage of obstacles to overcome in Aotearoa, don’t get me wrong – and ironically perhaps, these obstacles have added to my love of NZ. Overcoming the challenges life tosses at you inevitably shape you into the person you ultimately become.
Like many of my previous experiences traveling abroad, I originally arrived in New Zealand on a working holiday. Working holidays are a fantastic way to properly assimilate into the society of a country you’ve traveled to. You can absorb the culture and take it in as if the country were your home. You get to know its people, see it from their eyes as opposed to the eyes of a tourist.
New Zealand is a country with no shortage of space. It’s a land of sweeping vistas, towering mountains and thick and uninhabited bush. It’s a country with 4 million people, 40 million sheep, and 100,000 square miles of land. New Zealanders love their sport – while there is no question of their love for ‘the rugby,’ they also have a special appreciation for the beautiful country they inhabit and make plenty of efforts to get out and explore it.
Lately, I’ve been right with them.
As I mentioned in my last update, I’ve returned to New Zealand to run NZbyBike.com. I spend my days promoting mountain biking in New Zealand – it’s an epic place to ride, and inevitably, I’ve fallen in love with the sport myself. It’s a bloody great job, yet it’s by no means easy running a web start-up and has been taking up a significant amount of my time.
I’ve developed even more of an appreciation for bloggers like Steph from 20 Something Travel who balanced full-time work along with developing and running a superb travel blog.
In an effort to keep budget travel and backpacking focused posts coming your way more frequently, I’ve taken on a fellow American expat and travel blogger as a contributing writer for Backpackingmatt.com. Expect to see more content from Australia-based Lauren Fritsky of TheLifeThatBroke.com over the coming months with a focus on budget travel and backpacking in Australia.
Thanks for following along – for daily glimpses into my life living in New Zealand, be sure to follow me on Twitter.
Happy Travels,
(Backpacking)Matt
‘Life’s a Journey‘
Please leave your tips for balancing work, travel, and an active life along with running a blog in the comments section below. Alternatively, email them to me at matt (at) backpackingmatt (dot) com and I’ll feature the best in a post next month.
2011 is going to be a banner year here at Backpackingmatt.com. As I explained in my January Update, I have a number of exciting initiatives planned in the coming months.
I’ve spent the last fourteen months working off this more-or-less unaltered Thrilling Theme. It’s been fantastic. Cody of Thrilling Heroics developed a user-friendly and slick looking theme – I’ve loved it, yet I’m ready for some changes.
First, you’ll noticed a newly designed header. This design focuses on Backpackingmatt.com’s tagline:
While much of Backpackingmatt.com‘s archives are filled with my experiences and my travel advice, it’s my intention in the coming months to open this website up to your travel experiences and your travel advice.
The result? A travel blog that more effectively lives up to its moto:
Exploring the Unknown and Offering Travel Advice, Inspiration, and Ideas to the Budget Conscious Traveler or Backpacker.
I’m currently talking with a couple writers who are interested in joining Backpackingmatt.com as paid contributors – if you’re interested, please contact me.
Second, you’ll notice on the front page of Backpackingmatt.com I’ve added a featured post slider. I’ve been wanting this for some time – and many thanks (and virtual beer) go out to Chris of TheAussieNomad.com for helping me make this dream a reality.
This allows me to feature posts from my archives that very often get missed by new visitors to Backpackingmatt.com.
Lastly, I’m currently producing Backpackingmatt.com t-shirts that feature part of the new design from my header. I’m excited to wear my brand, and it’s my hopes you will be too.
It’s been almost four years since I fell in love with backpacking and experiencing the unknown and the tagline “Life’s a Journey” rings very true to me. Throughout my journey I’ve met unforgettable people and been exposed to unbelievable scenery.
The journey has taken me to some of the world’s most beautiful places – yet there is still so much to see. If you can relate, you might just want a Life’s a Journey Backpackingmatt.com T-Shirt.
Simply leave a comment below – your thoughts on the new design, why you’d want a shirt, or perhaps your feelings on living your life as a journey – and I’ll be announcing the winner on the Backpackingmatt.com Facebook Page on Friday, March, 11th at 12:00PM – New Zealand time.
Happy Travels,
(Backpacking)Matt
‘Life’s a Journey
The header was designed by Griffin of TheTravelingDesigner.com – he was fantastic to work with and I’m over the moon with the final product we created together.
Backpacking Matt 
