Travel for the soul - New Zealand

Amazing New Zealand

A dream to travel..
A dream to explore the world..
A dream to be one with nature..
A dream to ignite myself with thrill and adventure..

All of it was a dream until when my husband came with an idea and said.. LETS DO NEW ZEALAND!!
I never thought I could visit New Zealand. It was always out of my reach and budget.
But, thanks to my darling husband, Arpit, it turned into reality.

We worked on it for 1 whole year, with the help of my cousin, Sanket who had also visited New Zealand a year back. We planned the unplanned considering the minute details provided by Sanket and numerous other itineraries and prepared the best itinerary for ourselves.
It was my first 15 days long trip.. It was my first road trip.. It was my first trip with so many unknowns and adventures..
The things that I always wanted to do since my last memory have always been Skydiving and Experiencing snowfall.
Skydiving was an activity which can/may be fulfilled in this trip, which made this trip significantly close to my heart.

We reached Auckland on 17th April, 2015 at around midnight and were supposed to collect our first car for the first lap of our journey - North Island, New Zealand.

We had planned for Waitamo Glow worm caves the next afternoon as a warm up activity, or so we assumed, and somehow survived the same. It was quite tough, but totally worth it, seeing the caves lit up by the beautiful glow worms, was a mystical sight.
This is the closest sight to reality and we were quite awed with the fact that such a world actually exists since millions and millions of years back.

We also did a few other activities like Grade 4 white water rafting and moved on to the South Island, after experiencing some hot pools and geysers at Rotorua.

Akaroa, Christchurch

Christchurch - A beautiful garden city which was affected by an earthquake in 2011, has still to recover. Nevertheless, it did not stop to mesmerise us with the scenic views we got on our way to Akaroa, another beautiful little town. Akaroa was picturesque as we kayaked in the midst of the sea for a real view of the dolphins and penguins and tonnes and tonnes of seals.

We then drove down towards the Glacier Country to witness the vastness of the Alps on the West Coast via a beautiful city called Hokitika. We got our first glimpse of the Tasman Sea here which is also a home to some beautiful birds across the beach, and some warm people and the Fat Pippy's pizza by the beach. The Hokitika Gorge located a few kilometres away from the city blew our minds away with its  vivid turqoise blue water.

Well, the next destination was the most anticipated one of all, the Franz Josef Glacier. The two most significant things that we had planned here was the helicopter ride over the glaciers and SKY-DIVING - 16000 feet (the highest jump in the world). We reached here at 5 pm and it was a bright sunny evening with the perfect view to the snow and glaciers from the city. We had our skydive slot at 9 am the next morning and we surely knew, we will be getting no sleep that night.

As the quote goes..

"And, when you want something, ALL the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

                                                                                                 - Paulo Coelho

Well, in my case, it did not happen anything close to this. It was vice-versa and it seemed like the entire universe had conspired to not let me achieve what I so wanted.
To elaborate more on this, the evening that we reached was beautiful. We saw the helicopters all over the sky and the sound of them hovering above us, was already pumping the adrenaline which we had saved for our jump. Well, as the sun set and it became darker, the weather brought in the clouds from nowhere and it started raining. We kept checking all night, if the rains had stopped, but to our disappointment, it was getting heavier by the moment. We then checked the weather forecast on our sophisticated iPhones, and saw that it showed Rainy for the next 3 days. Well, we were here for the next 3 days. We did not want to believe it and waited for the morning and prayed for some weather transformation so that we could do our skydive jump. We also checked with the Skydive office but they had called the day off. And, we were in one of the most beautiful places of the world, with heavy rains and literally nothing to do.  [Attempt 1]
So, we decided to take a walk and explore the small town. In a few hours, we had visited every corner of the town, bought a lot of souvenirs, tried a few restaurants, bakeries, etc. The weather had not improved that day. So, we scheduled another appointment for the SKYDIVE for the next morning hoping the rains would stop. But, this time the iPhone was correct with its forecast and the rains were heavier than the earlier day.

Franz Josef Glacier

So, we decided to walk up to the glacier to get a peek of one of those rare glaciers that are accessible to humans.  It was a 2 hour walk from where we started. But, the views we got were incredible. The magnificence of the glaciers left us spellbound. All in all, we missed the helicopter view as well, but we satisfactorily saw the glaciers.

Eventually, we did not skydive at Franz Josef and I was quite disappointed with that. I felt the trip would be incomplete. But, my brilliant husband, who just cannot see me upset, came up with an exceptional idea. He suggested we could try for a jump at Wanaka (our next destination) since another well known Skydiving club was located there. With sparkle in our eyes and a new ray of hope, we contacted the Wanaka SkyDive centre and they confirmed that the weather was good for a jump there. So, off we were from the Glacier Country towards Wanaka. We reached Wanaka Skydive Centre at around 2 pm with excitement. We parked our car and confirmed our slots at the centre. Our jump was scheduled for 3 pm. We waited for 15 mins, and in sometime, the Skydive officials said, that the clouds are coming in and they may not jump for the rest of the day. Grrrrrrrrrr [Attempt 2]

Lake Wanaka

Nevertheless, we explored Lake Wanaka which carried its own solitude and peace. The temperatures had dropped considerably here, but autumn was at its best, with yellow and red leaves all around, which was a sheer delight to our eyes and soul.


That same evening, we drove further down to Queenstown. Now, Queenstown is a city that can immerse you in itself. Its peaceful, vibrant with colours, buzzing with activities. It has something for everyone. I personally loved this city for its aesthetics, the apartments, the streets, the trees and the majestic Lake Wakatipu. Well, we still wanted to try the Skydive and Queenstown was again quite popular for the same. So, we booked a slot for the next morning again (well, we decided to convince the universe) for a jump, and I know it looks too dramatic and exaggerated, but Queenstown had clouds as well. [Attempt 3]

Queenstown

With a smile on our faces, we enjoyed the Ferg Burger, one of the most happening joints in Queenstown. We had also booked the famous Milford Cruise at the Milford Sound and it was a surreal experience. On our way to the Milford Sound, we came across Te Anau known for the beautiful Fiords. The drive to the Milford Sound itself was enough to soak us in its heavenly views.

We had an extra day with us which we still had to plan. So, what else, we looked for a way to do our Skydive before we leave New Zealand. So, we checked the weather forecast on our smartphones and saw that Wanaka was supposed to be sunny for the next 2 days, as against Queenstown which was still cloudy and we took the slot for our final attempt of skydive.


We reached Wanaka Skydive Centre at 10 am and it was a lovely sunny day. We strapped up ourselves with, now some bit of nervousness and excitement. Now, till we got onto the plane, and landed back, we were not convinced, we were doing it.

And, yes, we were finally off in the plane to jump from a 15000 ft in Wanaka city with overwhelming views and snow capped mountains. And in our fourth attempt, we finally Skydived, my dream had come true and the top of my wishlist item was checked - Done!! I don't know if the universe conspired for helping me achieve it or vice versa, either ways, I realised my determination and efforts help me achieve anything I want in life.

The trip was complete, a road trip of 15 days, me and Arpit, memories for a lifetime.

If I were to plan my next trip, I would visit New Zealand again, this time in a caravan for the next level of adventure.
Also, if anybody wants to plan a trip there, with all our research and experience, it would be our pleasure to help you create an itinerary for you, as per your needs at a minimal fee.

Please e-mail me with your feedback or queries at swatigupta22@gmail.com

Looking forward to the next road trip..

Swati
Rediscovering the world - Inside and Outside

Enjoy the journey as much as the destination!!!

Impress OR Express ??

           

          

           As soon as I completed my schooling, there was an immense excitement deep within to enter a whole new world. A new world where there would be guys and girls in a single classroom (having been in a girls school for twelve years). A world which will have its own set of enthusiasm and challenges.  A world which will be completely different from the present one. I was entering the junior college and the first day itself was no less than an adventure to me. After conquering my tenth grade with scores that could be announced to the world, I stepped into this new world with magnanimous confidence.

            As time passed, I wanted to get into that group which was supposedly the most “HAPPENING GROUP” of our college. The group that bunked lectures and went for movies, frequent overnight trips, and every Saturday night party at the club. Little did I realize, that I could not be a part of that group with the way I was. I needed to work on my dressing sense, my talking skills, my attitude, my language and almost every other thing. Me being a very quiet person, I tried my level best to show that I can also talk (nonsense) endlessly and entertain others. I tried to draw attention in every possible way and impress others with my talks and knowledge. In the course of time, I started getting away from my best buddy (myself) to get closer to the external buddies. I continued to strive to portray myself as a different person than what Swati actually was and there was big gap that was created within me.

            As I experienced this stage and beyond, I gradually realized, these are just some small temptations life offers me, I need to stay away from them. I also should not get into the “Impress Trap” which will enforce me to be a person I am not so that I am accepted. Instead, I must be expressive and this will happen if and only if, I love myself. I must always express my true opinion, irrespective of people around me liking it or not, which will help me boost my self-confidence. I must ensure that I express my true feelings and love towards the people around me, which will make me genuinely lovable.

Today, I love myself and accept myself totally with my potentials and limitations. I am proud to break the “Impress Trap” and I no longer seek attention from others. I know I am good and am filled with intense self confidence. I prefer being called a ‘Genuine girl’ to being addressed as a ‘Cool girl’. I know I have developed friendships that will last a lifetime. I also know I have left a mark on a few lives I have come across.

 

These few words have transformed my life. I pray it does the same to you.

“Live life to express, not to impress. Don't strive to make your presence noticed, just make your absence felt.”

Swati

Rediscovering the world - Inside and Outside

It's my life!!!

As I scan into my life, I observed that I have always felt that my parents have been very strict with me. I felt that I have not been allowed to do what I liked to do. A few things like:
- I should not take up medical as my career.. Engineering is better.
- I should not join tennis classes, badminton is ok.
- I should not be out of the house beyond 9 pm.
- I should not talk too long on the phone.
- I don't need to meet my friends everyday.
- If I am going for a day long trip, I should tell them who all are going along with me.
- I should not have close friends as boys and the list goes on and on.

So often I end up yelling "It's my life... Let me do what I want... and I WILL do what I want!!"
:) :)

Little did I realize that my parents did not trust me with what I would be doing with my life, hence the strictness.
Recently, I was going through a video of my teacher where he said, "I am responsible for every day of my life when I wake up. I am accountable to myself with every passing day and the language that I use to myself shapes my day. "

Isn't this exercise a great way to shape our life.
If I and so many more who go through the above situations, can guide ourselves by saying  -
"It's my day today and  I will not convert myself into a rebel by shouting, yelling and disturbing my peace of mind. Instead, I will live it responsibly, confidently and happily. The key to my happiness and success lies within me. I will need to work on my actions to embed trust in my parents. Only then will I have the authority to demand." - Wouldn't this be great?

If only, I become accountable for my day and in turn, my life, I will be called RESPONSIBLE rather than a REBEL. It's such a simple and a brilliant shift, just by changing my language from "It's my life" to "It's my day", I will be more empowered to live a meaningful and a great day. I will be able to take every opportunity to earn the trust and then I can take charge of my life and direct it the way I want.


A day full of Authority.. A day filled with a sense of Responsibility..

I am working on it. Do let me know your thoughts

Swati
Rediscovering the world - Inside and Outside

Share a little Love

       I woke up with a jerk after a terrible nightmare. It was early in the morning and there was still some more time for the day to start. I wanted to sleep and forget the nightmare. I closed my eyes, kept changing my position to get the most comfortable position to sleep, but it never came. I sat up, closed my eyes, calmed myself down and tried sleeping again. But, sleep stood far away from me. In the attempt to get sleep, it was time for me to wake up and get onto my routine chores.

      I knew I wasn't in the best of my spirits. Something made me feel low and gloomy. I did not feel like going to work, but neither did I want to stay at home. So, reluctantly I packed up to leave for office. As I was walking(dragging myself) towards my vehicle, I bumped into a familiar face. She was my mother's friend and I had interacted with her a few times earlier. Every time I have met her, she seems to be carrying this beautiful smile and a genuine concern. We spoke for a couple of minutes and she ended the conversation by saying, "You are a very nice girl. I always pray for you."

      As I started my ride to office, I realized I was smiling. I realized that my gloominess had all disappeared. I realized those WORDS spoken to me had done the wonders. I was back to my usual energies and was feeling good about myself. I wanted to take the day head on and immediately started planning my day without much ado.

      Later in the evening, as I was introspecting my day, I was amazed with what had happened with me. Someone had said something nice to me with all the genuineness and love which made me feel on top of the world.

      So often, we meet people and judge them without knowing their current state of mind. If only we can share some positive words and some love with them, it might just be that last pull which can turnaround their state of mind. I had decided that day, I will say something nice and positive to people when I meet them, rather than just a 'Hi'. It could make someone's day.
And yes, a smile costs nothing. "Ek smile toh banta hai!!! :)"
Keep smiling!!!


Swati
Rediscovering the world - Inside and Outside

Joy of Giving

A recent realization which dawned onto me a few days back was: If I was ever feeling low in energies or felt a little dull and gloomy, all I needed to do was take my (debit) card and hit one of the shopping malls. In a very strange way, this would pump my spirits to no bounds and I would get cheerful again in no time.


The best part about this exercise was that I always looked forward to shop for others. I would want to buy a cool electronic gadget for my younger brother. I would like to buy some accessories for my younger sister which will delight her the most. I would look for some good branded clothes for my parents which they have never heard of. I would enjoy buying a dress for my small little niece whenever she comes from Mumbai. I will scan through various books and their reviews which I can give a teenager as a gift from which he will get inspired and treasure it all his life. I would love to pick a Superman t-shirt for  a 25 year old friend just because we have nick named him that. The thought of their happiness on receiving some gifts on no occasion enthuses me. I have seen my parents scolding me for buying some expensive gifts, but at the same time a twinkle in their eyes to receive it. Its indeed blissful to watch the expressions of your family and friends when you give them a gift.


If this gift holds some meaning and will be useful, the value increases even more. In short, we should make efforts to know what our closed ones need and give them exactly that. 


I would request each one of you to try this once and experience the feeling of content and joy after giving a gift (irrespective of its monetary value).


There is no other feeling as heavenly as the joy of giving and would want each of us to enjoy it too.
Do share your experiences here.


 - Swati
Rediscovering the world - Inside and Outside