Its been a long journey really, we hopped on a plane from NZ to Indonesia on 13th January 2013 with a 9kg backpack each. We went to 10 countries in 9 months around South East Asia. Following this we headed to Canada and began the search for a job on a ski resort which was easier than we hoped, we signed up to a job fair for Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard Resort and both had a job offer by the end of the day with staff accommodation on the mountain. After our 8 month contract was up we purchased a Dodge Grand Caravan (soccer mum van), took out the seats and converted it to a camper put a bed in the back and drove around Canada and the USA. Due to a few factors like breaking down in small town Texas and getting stuck for 3 weeks, visa rapidly running out and finances dwindling we decide to fly to Central America instead of go back to Canada for a month as planned. We jump on a plane from New York to Nicaragua and find ourselves giggling in the back of a beaten up taxi with our driver yelling in Spanish at everyone in his way. We spent 3 months in Central America going up from Nicaragua to Guatemala and onto Mexico where we had a flight booked to LA and from there back home to NZ.
What a journey.
We arrive home excited and happy to see family again. Its been really great to come back over the Christmas and New Year period because this means we don’t have to jump straight back into finding a job, we get to hang out in the glorious kiwi summer with family and friends, go camping and swim on some of the best beaches in the world. Seriously, beaches here are better than any we have been to around the world, equal perhaps to a few in Thailand just without the trash!
The latest development in our lives now is we have a place to call our own I’m calling it a house but reality is; its a flat, one of 4 in a street full of other flats. This does not matter to us. We have our own space without flatmates, without backpackers, without mess and dirt and shambles and someone else’s possessions. Finally after all this time we can call somewhere home. We can set it up how we want. We can put things we’ve collected on our travels on the walls and be happy here!
Its been one hell of a journey to get here, we have seen and experienced things that most Kiwis will struggle to understand. We have a changed outlook on life, and the beauty of this is that we have done it together. Recently we celebrated 8 years together, a huge milestone for two people of 26! We are happy together and happy to have people we love surrounding us. I want to say a special thanks to those who have been part of our journey up till now, in a small way you have all helped us become who we are today, so, cheers!
Live and be free, always!
xxx
Slyzo
slyzotravels.wordpress.com 
Happy that I have been a little part in this journey of the 2 of you. Also its great to read everthing is going well! One day i will sure visit NZ, and offcorse I will stop by for a beer 🙂
Sander
Sander, we are happy you were a big part of this journey also! It would be great to have you in NZ, one day we will also visit Holland and come and see you!